What Drives Her
by Virginia May
Summary: Edward leaves Forks & Bella behind after the incident with Tyler's van. Five years later, he finally returns to his family and the Pacific Northwest.While picking up his latest Swedish automobile,he is confronted by a very familiar scent. AU-Twilight.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

This story is AU from Chapter 4 of Twilight, and page 94 of Midnight Sun.

**Edward leaves Forks and Bella behind after the incident with Tyler's van. Five years later, he finally returns to his family and the Pacific Northwest. While picking up his latest Swedish automobile, he is confronted by a very familiar scent. Will Edward be able to fight the pull his singer has on him a second time? Or will he stick around long enough to find out What Drives Her? **

Thank you to my original beta **Essay33**. Thank you to **Project Team Beta** for making her job easier, and for being a such a wonderful resource.

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_**Disclaimer: **_**The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, May 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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"**What Drives Her"**

Bella:

"Hello, Mr. Schmidt? This is Bella at Ravenna Volvo, our technician had a chance to take a look at your car and I have an estimate for you." I cleared my throat, still a little winded from rushing back after my lunch break. Saturdays were always insane in the service department. "Yes, we did. You have a bad coil assembly on the power steering system. Yes. The good news is that we have the part in stock and should be able to have your car finished by this evening."

He asked me a few questions which made me think that he doubted my assessment, but I couldn't take it too personally; I was just the messenger. "Mhmm... Yes, they did. Absolutely, of course," I sighed. Some men can be so predictable. "If you would like to speak to the tech yourself, I can have him get back to you. However, in that case,we may not be able to get to it today." Okay so, I played the patience card, or the lack-of-patience card. Mr. Schmidt didn't sound like the patient type. "Yes, I am certain. Of course, I understand. The repairs will be $378.47, out the door. Yes. Alright then, we will get that taken care of for you. Yes, of course. Thank you, Mr. Schmidt, we'll see you this evening."

I hung up and printed out the new service invoice, then paged the tech to come pick it up with the keys.

Another vehicle pulled in to the service entrance. It was well after two o'clock and I was pretty sure we had more work than the boys could finish today. I headed out with a clipboard to greet the middle-aged driver with a smile, at least I could get her an appointment for Monday.

"Hi, what can we do for you today?" I asked with forced cheerfulness as she opened the door to her Vanilla Pearl C70.

"Oh. Well, hello dear. I need an oil change today, but I suppose I would have to talk to someone in the service department." She eyed me and shot me a condescending smile.

"It's your lucky day, then. I am 'someone'," I answered, shaking her hand and pointing to my embroidered Volvo polo shirt. Just below my name, it read Senior Service Representative. "I'm Bella. What can we do for you?"

"Oh, I... I apologize. You seem so young. You hardly look old enough to hold a job, let alone this particular occupation. Aren't you a little too pretty to be in service?" she asked pointedly, while still giving me the once over.

"I get that every now and again, but I assure you, I am qualified," I said, trying not to let my irritation show for the umpteenth time today. "Unfortunately, Miss...?" I knew that I had seen her in here before, but she wasn't one of my regulars so her name was evading me.

"Mrs. Debary," she answered.

"Mrs. Debary, we are pretty back logged for today. We will be unable to get to your vehicle this afternoon without a substantial wait, if we can get to it at all."

She opened her eyes wide with surprise and her eyebrows went straight up. Her mouth tightened into a scowl and she started to open her mouth, before I cut her off. "I would be more than happy to arrange an appointment for you first thing Monday morning. When you come in, we can have a driver waiting here to take you to work, or wherever you may need to be at that time."

"That simply won't do. I need it taken care of today. The oil needs to be changed, and I need the car washed and the interior detailed. You are open for a further 4 hours, no?" she challenged.

I raised an eyebrow at her. This woman had some nerve and an attitude. "Yes, we are. However, we have a full schedule, with clients who made their service appointments weeks ago. I will see what we can do, but as I mentioned, we will not be able to get to your vehicle right away."

She scowled at me. "I'll wait for it. And, Bella? I never wait more than an hour. Never. Tell your service manager that I'm here. If you are incapable of doing your job, then I am sure one of the grown-ups would be happy to do it for you," she snapped, pushing her keys into my hands.

_WITCH! _I wanted to say the word out loud and backslap her. Was she serious?

I took a breath and smiled widely, "Mrs. Debary, we don't play favorites at Ravenna Volvo. We treat each one of our customers as a VIP and provide the utmost in attention and service. I will do everything I can to get your vehicle in as quickly as possible, but you _will_ have to wait. Now, can I show you to the service lounge?"

_ Or_ _off a cliff? _I thought to myself, and opened the door to the service department for her.

She smiled mischievously and paused a moment, "No, thank you. I know the way." She turned and continued through the door I held open for her.

I followed her inside and watched as she made her way through to the lounge. I went back to my station to get her paperwork started. _ One of the grown-ups...I'm 22, not 12._

"Jerry? How are we doing? I have a walk-in that wouldn't take no for an answer. Of course," I said in a sing song voice. Our Volvo owners rarely took no for an answer, especially the single and mature adult owners. The married men and the soccer moms were usually more flexible. They also made appointments.

"Well, we're okay but we may be until 7 tonight. Matt's in the weeds, he got into a recall repair on that CX60 and found some unrelated problems with the fuel system. We're waiting on the owners now. Uh, I think Vince and Sebastian are behind too. Maybe Seth can do it?" Jerry answered me without even looking up, his fingers flying on the keyboard. I printed out Mrs. Debary's service order and looked over my tech's service orders. Jerry was right, we were going to be here a while.

I walked over to his station, looking over his shoulder. He sighed, "No, no wait, Seth's got five oil changes queued and a few appointments yet to come in. I don't what to tell you, baby girl."

"Well, let's do this... Embry's here pulling some overtime in detailing. I'll go detail and we stick him in the pit with the walk-in and our last few appointments. I am sure he could use the hours and Mr. Myers isn't here today to object. We gotta do what we gotta do, right?" I shrugged.

"Is that what you think the _'grown-ups'_ would do," Jerry teased. I had to laugh. He was a fantastic service manager with a real sense of humor. He was great at schmoozing customers and our big boss, but just another one of the boys when it came right down to it.

"You heard that, huh? Yeah, well I'd do her oil change my dang self, but I just bought these khakis and I'm not ruining them for Mrs. Impatient McPushy Pants." I whispered the last part. Jerry laughed a bellowing laugh that echoed down the hall and caught the attention of the cashier across from us.

"Shhh," I giggled.

"Bella, you crack me up. I think I can cover us in here, but you'll need to get back before the end of the day madness begins. Go try to get detailing finished up for the afternoon and tell Embry he's in the pit. Good idea, baby girl." He raised his hand for a fist bump and nodded his head in approval.

"Alright, I'll be back," I said, grabbing the keys to Mrs. McPushy Pants' C70 and heading outside to check the mileage and pull it around back.

I really liked my job. I liked helping people. I liked getting to drive some crazy-expensive cars from time to time. I liked the fact that I knew practical things that most girls and women didn't take the time to learn about. I liked the respect that that knowledge garnered me. I not only knew how to change out a tire or a dead battery, but how to replace my own filters, fan belts and spark plugs. It was sort of like having my own little secret super power. Maybe I didn't look it, and I certainly didn't drive like it, but I knew how to take care of things under the hood.

The real revelation for me was that I actually enjoyed learning about cars. I never thought I would be into anything vehicular, at all. I liked books and listening to music. I generally avoided any activity which required some sort of skill in order to participate. However, getting stranded on the side of a two lane highway in the pouring rain, with logging trucks rolling by at 70 miles per hour, is no fun. Coming out of a late movie in Port Angeles to find that Jessica Stanley's car battery had died and she didn't have jumper cables or know how to use them, was not much fun either. After that little episode resulted in hysterical tears and utter panic from Jess, I decided I had had enough. I was going to be able to do things to take care of myself and my ignoramus friends. I wasn't helpless and didn't need some kind of hero swooping into save the day, and certainly not the kind that would hang out at a biker bar.

The next weekend, I asked Charlie if he could show me how to take care of my truck, and what to do in common vehicular emergencies. In return, I tried to show him how to take better care of himself in the kitchen. It was worth a try, although I took to cars a lot better than my dad took to cooking. Charlie was happy to teach me how to change a tire or jump start my battery, but he suggested we both learn a thing or two from Jacob Black about the mechanics and maintenance of the ancient engine under my hood. After the first two weekends, I started hanging out with Jake and his friends in La Push on my own, and my dad and Billy Black resumed their fishing trips. The boys fixed up old cars, listened to music and talked about girls. I paid attention.

As I pulled Mrs. McPushy Pants' car around the back of the service building, I saw Embry's legs sticking out of the door of a shiny white C30 hatchback. It was a cute little car that the sales team had tried to sell me on a few times, but it wasn't really me. They tried time and again to find a car that would make me trade in the Chevy, but I drove so infrequently now; there wasn't much of a point. I did have a favorite Volvo model that I quietly gawked over when one came in, but it was something I kept to myself. Nobody needed to know the real reason that I walked into the dealership for the first time. It just so happened that when I went inside to use the restroom, I discovered they were looking for a new cashier in service department. The position paid a lot more than the job I'd wanted at a book store down the road, and they hired me on the spot.

Over the last three years, I've worked my way up and found a way to keep a full class load at the same time. I had to take online courses every term, limit my on-campus classes to Monday through Thursday mornings, and put in ten hour days on Fridays and Saturdays, but it was worth it. I'd taken out less than $20,000 in student loans and was set to graduate at the end of the semester, less than six weeks away.

"Hey, Em!" I shouted his name over the roar of an industrial vacuum. It was ridiculously loud. "EMBRY! Hello?" I smacked his leg and he jumped.

"What the... Oh, hey Bells! You snuck up on me." He smiled sheepishly while he climbed out of the car. "Do you need something?"

"Yeah, we're getting slammed. I need you to do me a favor, you game?"

"Uh, sure. What do you need?" He wiped his hair out of his face and stood up to his full height. It never failed to amaze me how big the boys from the reservation had gotten. Most people assumed that Embry was well into his upper twenties, simply because of his size and mass. Whenever we told anyone he was only nineteen, the looks he got were priceless.

"I'm going to finish up detailing this afternoon. I need you to get in the bay and get us caught up. Is that okay?"

"Of course it is! You know you can count on me, sweets. I've always got your back," he winked, hanging up the vacuum attachment. I threw him the keys to the C70 and grabbed the paperwork off the dashboard.

"Awesome. Get started with this one, it's just an oil change but I need you to bring it back here so I can get it cleaned up, 'kay?" I handed him the paperwork and gave him a quick hug.

"Sure, sure."

"Thanks," I said, and grabbed the vacuum to get to work.

"No problem," Embry answered and jumped in McPushy Pants' car.

I threw my long hair up into a pony tail and got to it. What felt like less than fifteen minutes later, Embry returned with the C70. I had to admit, the boy was good.

"Here you go, Bells. All done." He ran over while I was finishing up the windows in the hatchback.

"Did you even do the inspection, Embry? Seriously, are you goin' for a world record?" I asked jokingly.

"You know it!" He smiled and literally sprinted around the building to the service bay.

I finished up the hatchback and then got started on washing and vacuuming McPushy Pants' car. I took the extra time to make sure it would pass a white glove inspection. The woman was obnoxious, but despite her cynicism, I knew how to do my job and several other jobs around here. I did them very well, too.

When I finished with the interior and exterior, I pulled the vehicle back around to the front of the building and had Jerry page Mrs. Debary to the cashier's window. It took a little bit of effort for me not to gloat that we had only taken 56 minutes to finish her service, but I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing that I cared. I hustled back to detailing to get through the rest of the vehicles waiting to be washed.

I had just gotten finished vacuuming one of the last cars for the day when I heard a familiar authoritative voice calling my name. "BELLA?"

"Mr. Myers?" I answered, pushing a loose piece of hair behind my ear. My heart started pounding and I tried to decide whether or not I was going to be in trouble with the owner of the dealership for being back here, instead of at my post in the service department.

"Bella, what the hell are you doing?" His voice sounded more curious than angry but his volume did nothing to calm my hammering heart. I could feel the blood flushing to my cheeks as he made his way to where I was standing.

"Sir? Did Jerry tell you that..." He didn't let me finish.

"Yeah, he told me that you guys were getting behind. I understand you also had a little visit from Belinda Debary. Did she tell you that she's my next door neighbor," he asked with a tone of displeasure.

"No, sir. She didn't mention that." I bit my bottom lip and cringed internally. I should have known. She looked like she was up to something when I stood up to her condescending tone of voice.

"Well, she called me as soon as she left here," he said, looking at me with one eyebrow cocked up in his none existent hairline.

"Oh, she did? Was there some sort of problem with the car? I had Embry put a rush on it and-" Mr. Myers cut me off again.

"Bella! It's fine! You did an amazing job, she called to let me know what a go-getter you are. She said she thought you were going to send her car to Siberia and leave it there after the way she talked to you, but then you got it done in less than an hour. You should know that that self-important busybody calls my personal number every single time she comes in here! It's usually just to tell me how to run my business, but she was impressed with you. Said the car is cleaner than when she bought it! Jerry was pretty impressed with you too; you really took control of the situation." He slapped me on the back a little too hard and I stumbled forward a step.

"Well, thank you, sir. You know I try to help keep the department running efficiently," I said, rubbing my shoulder. I was pretty sure my cheeks were flushed to their brightest color by now.

"Yes, you do a good job. I also know you don't like a lot of praise and attention, so I won't be embarrassing you by sticking your face on a plaque on the wall again. I do, however, want to do something to show my appreciation for the way you jump in there on a regular basis dealing with customers and motivating the technicians. I think those boys would walk on broken glass for you." He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled widely.

"Oh, well..." I wasn't exactly comfortable with the attention I got from the male technicians, and I certainly didn't go looking for it.

"Now look, I already pay you more than any other service rep. Almost as much as I pay Jerry, just don't tell him that," he winked. "So, I can't give you a raise but I do have a special job for you." He looked like an indulgent parent about to watch their child open a long awaited gift.

"Okay, sure. What is it?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"We have an overseas home delivery coming in that you might be interested in. I need someone special to get it ready for me. And... The owner called today and asked if it could be picked up at the Pike Street location tomorrow instead of here, so I'll also need someone to drive it over there for me." He smiled wider.

"Oookay..." I wasn't sure how that was a reward, but I was not going to tell my boss that.

"Bella," he prodded, grinning like an idiot.

"Yes, sir?" I grinned back. I couldn't help myself; it was like trying to hold back the tide when it came to that man's contagious smile.

"It's a factory fresh 2011 S60. They're not even supposed to be available in Europe until next month. We won't be seeing another one until the end of the year, kiddo. On top of which, it has all kinds of custom options that you couldn't order in the U.S. It's one of kind. And, it's a nice, shiny, silver... just for you." He raised his eyebrows up and down real quick a couple times and laughed.

My mouth fell a little slack and I huffed out a breath. I had no idea how he knew about my preference for silver and should have been a little embarrassed by it, but I was sort of past the point of caring. It was _THE_ car, only newer, and shinier, and I was going to get to drive it. _I_ was going to drive a shiny silver Volvo. My mouth twisted into a little half smile and I shook my head at my own ridiculousness.

"You're kidding me, right." I asked.

"Not at all. I know that the S60r always caught your eye, but that aside I couldn't trust just anyone to handle this for me. This is a VIP arrangement. It has to be handled with care and it has to arrive at the Pike Street lot before tomorrow, in perfect condition. I trust you to do that. You may be young, but you're a heck of lot more responsible than anyone else around here." He patted my back.

"Wow. Just, wow. That's... Where is it?" I stammered in excited disbelief.

"Come on, I'll show you. I told you it was a custom car, and I mean custom engine, custom windows; you name it, it's been upgraded or personalized. It's somethin' special. I can't imagine why anyone would go to that much trouble for a Volvo. Seriously, if you're going to drop that kind of coin on a set of wheels, at least go for one of the big four," he said laughing. "Must have sentimental value."

"Or they just really like their Volvos? And honestly, they are a little less ostentatious than Mercedes or Jaguar. Do I really get to drive it?" I asked as we walked around the corner where _the _car was being unloaded from the truck.

_Beautiful._

"Woah..." I gushed.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Mr. Myers laughed. "Have fun, baby girl." He slapped my shoulder like I was one of the guys again.

"Oh, I will.." I practically squealed and hopped towards the truck. As an afterthought, I turned and ran back to my boss, "Thank you, so much! I'll take good care of her." I threw my arms around his neck in a rare show of emotion for me. He messed up my hair and grinned, pleased with himself.

Sixty-five minutes later, I was sitting in one of the newest and nicest cars I had ever been in. It was a symphony of machinery and art. The digital technology and touch screens made me a tad nervous, but the sound system alone was worth getting excited over. I stretched a little in the heated leather driver's seat to the sounds of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. Even though I was too concerned with the safety and condition of the vehicle to thoroughly enjoy driving it; for fifteen minutes I existed in a kind of dreamlike state. There, in the combined music of a twin turbo engine and a powerful Russian ballet, I imagined a world in which the mysterious Edward Cullen might have taken me, the plain and uncoordinated Bella Swan, for a ride in _his _shiny, silver Volvo.

_Right..._

Well, a girl could dream.

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**End Note:**

So Bella is a bit more mature than the shy young woman Edward met in Forks.

What do you think?

Review, if you please, and let me know. ;-)


	2. Chapter 1: The Prodigal

**The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, March 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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****Chapter One: **

"**The Prodigal"**

Edward~

I was nervous. I was really, truly nervous for the first time in a very long time. I had been preparing myself for this day for the last year, knowing that it would be difficult but willing to make whatever sacrifices I could to be with my family again. My family. Home.

Now that I was less than two miles from our family's newest home, a home I had never seen before, it was far too late to change my mind. As the car rounded another curve and descended towards the looming fog, I got the faintest sense of their thoughts. Like the fog, the images and words were thick and somewhat misty. Amazing that after nearly six decades together, I could become so out of synch with the thoughts of my loved ones in just a few short years in limbo.

It was not as if I hadn't seen my family in the last five years, more that we had not resided together permanently for most of that time. I had been with them on and off, limiting my visits to several months or a year at the most; a decision made during the brief period following the graduation of the oldest Cullen "children" from Forks High School in 2005. They had all relocated to follow me after I left our home in Forks quite abruptly, and quite necessarily. Despite the mistakes and juvenile behavior that led to that decision, they never overtly blamed me. To them, this was just a part of being what it is that we are. Truthfully, I deserved blame. They moved our family years earlier than what was truly necessary and our once well rehearsed and peaceful life together was utterly overturned; all because of me.

After five months of endless debates over where we should go next and what we should do, I'd had enough. With Jasper flat out refusing to repeat high school again, Rosalie whining about how things had been fine before "that girl" pushed her way into our lives, Emmett planning all manner of stealthy kidnapping of said girl, and the Denali sisters putting more than their two cents worth in, I could not endure another day.

My brain was overloaded and my heart was overwrought. Supplement the tension in the household with Alice's nonstop visions causing me enormous temptation and anguish, and I was at the limits of my sanity. I left. I was miserable and furious, frustrated and heartbroken.

It had taken nearly a year on my own to discover the name behind the crushing pain that accompanied my unnecessary breaths. Day in, day out, an ache that never truly went away. It rivaled my thirst in every imaginable way. Dry, burning, and at times, even searing pain. It was pain that could be alleviated momentarily by other things that I loved; music, art, time with my father, mother, and siblings. But none of those things were ever enough to extinguish the ache. Heartache.

I loathed it. Yet, I wouldn't want to go back or live without it.

_Son? You look ill. There is nothing to be anxious over, we are all very happy you are home. Let us leave the past where it belongs. You're home, where you belong._

Esme sat smiling at me from the passenger's seat. She had been the lone member of my family to greet me when my flight landed from Tokyo. From her memory of it, I saw that she had nearly bared her teeth at my siblings in order to gain the privilege of retrieving me from the airport. To be honest, she would be the only member of my family that I wouldn't throttle for touching my Aston-Martin, and she knew it too. Her thoughts were kind and full of joy at my return, as well as confidence in the future. She truly believed that the past was swept under the rug and my siblings were as pleased for my return as she was. We were ascending another small hill and the fog began to thin. I suddenly heard her thoughts before she was able to articulate the words.

"Slow here, the next drive is ours. On the..," Esme began.

"Left?" I grinned at her and she laughed out loud.

_I've missed him so much! _She giggled internally, but her outward composure was eternally Esme; warm, calm and confident."Welcome home, Edward," she sighed contentedly, and reached over to squeeze my hand.

With little warning, the thoughts of the rest of the Cullen clan rang through the relative silence of the forest as we made our way along the winding drive that led to my home for the next several years.

_He's here, he's here, he's here, he's here! Thirty-three seconds... _Alice was bouncing off the walls.

_What the hell? What is Esme doing with the Vanquish? _Emmett heard the car.

_ Is that? Why would she take Edward's car? _Jasper picked up on Emmett's confusion.

_ My beautiful, surreptitious wife! I can't believe she didn't tell me. FINALLY! _Carlisle slammed a book closed.

_ What is with Alice? Good grief, calm down you weirdo pixie! She looks like.. NO WAY! _Rosalie's shocked voice was the one that rang out over the torrent of thoughts.

"Edward?" Her thoughts were cautiously hopeful and showed her flying to the front door to watch as the Vanquish pulled just into sight. I could see the top of her golden head at that moment, as she caught first sight of me.

"OH MY GOD, EMMETT! HE'S BACK," she shrieked. Rose was overwhelmed, overjoyed and relieved. Her relief was the strongest sentiment in her thoughts.

It was also unmistakably obvious that my mother and youngest sister had taken advantage of not having a mind reader in the house one final time.

_ He'shere,he'sreallyhere,Edward'shere,Edward'sback! He'sback,he'sback,he'sback... _

Alice's thoughts were practically indecipherable, a running jumble of mental squealing. Rosalie was oddly mirroring the mental hysterics of our sister. I was going to get a headache at this rate.

"He's home," Alice called, sounding as relieved as Rosalie felt. Quickly the rest of the house was filled with similar thoughts.

I smiled as the emotion became almost overwhelming; joy and pain woven into one. Part of the reason I had stayed away was this wildly overwhelmed feeling. The love my family showed me, the love that motivated their thoughts and actions towards me; it only compounded all that I felt. I was learning to push the heartache aside and just accept their warmth towards me, but it was still mildly difficult. I was no longer the baby boy of the family, the odd man out who had never known what he was missing. I was different now; changed forever by finding the one thing that I didn't know I was missing, and then losing it. I loved each of my family members, but they could not replace the love that I could not have.

I knew that were I human, my heart would be hammering, my eyes would be welling with tears and I would be near shaking from an excess of adrenaline in my system. However, I was fortunate enough to be a vampire; there would be no outlet of emotion through various physiological responses. I would just have to suck it up and take a deep breath, steadying my emotions and control by sheer willpower.

Despite the pain that I actively had to work against, my smile did not fade. The intensity of excitement and joy in the family's thoughts increased tenfold when Jasper, who was hurdling down the stairs and across the foyer caught sight of my car rolling to a stop in front of the large house.

"Edward?" Jasper was shocked and his thoughts flitted to his wife and the utter disbelief that she had managed to keep this from him. He briefly worried that she hadn't been able to see that I was coming, but then went back to astonishment. _I can't believe it, that little sneak!_ "Alice, you are in big trouble." I heard him grumble at her and laugh at the same time.

"I know Jazz! And I don't care! He wasn't sure until this morning; I didn't want to jinx it. He's really home!" She squealed again and threw herself into Jasper's arms. After I cut the engine, they turned to smile excitedly at me.

_You look like a deer in headlights. Take a breath, Edward. _Esme squeezed my hand and opened her door. I briefly berated myself for not being faster and thinking ahead to get the door for her. This was all just somewhat distracting.

I did feel a little like a small animal frozen in the path of an oncoming vehicle. My head was suddenly overwhelmed with the chorus of familiar mental voices that I had missed so much. Although I was relieved to be returning to them, I hadn't been prepared for the sheer volume of those voices and the intensity of their joyous thoughts. I had not only spent the last few years avoiding or virtually ignoring the minds of both strangers and casual acquaintances, but this time my family knew that I meant to stay for good, and they were powerful in their enthusiasm.

Carlisle stood outside the car and opened the door for his wife. "Let me get that for you, my darling."

She took his hand and smiled at him. In his mind, I could see the excitement radiating off of her and how that made her even more attractive to him. They stood a modest distance from one another, longing to embrace but consciously choosing to deny the urge in an effort to make me more comfortable. In all honesty, the well meaning gesture and corresponding thoughts that accompanied it made me more uncomfortable than if they were to just act as they normally would.

I removed myself from the cocoon of my vehicle and stood. "Please, do not behave differently for me. You were not meant to change a thing because of my return. I would not have come back if I was not at ease with all of you, and everything that living life together entails. Hug her, Carlisle." I grinned and walked around the car to greet my father. He pulled Esme to his side and kissed her cheek before greeting me as the prodigal for the second time in our history.

"Welcome home, son."

"Thank you, Carlisle. Dad..." I said warmly, pulling away from his embrace and meeting his eyes.

As was customary between us, he added a mental statement to his verbal greeting. _You have made all of us very happy, thank __**you**__._

I nodded once and was immediately assailed on either side by my sisters. Alice was on my right, jumping up and pulling herself onto my back before kissing my right cheek. Rose simply took my left hand and squeezed once. She smiled as genuine a smile as I had ever seen from her, and when Alice slipped down I pulled them both into a hug.

"I thought you'd never come back. I am so sorry for throwing an ultimatum down the way that I did, Edward. Thank you for coming home," Rosalie said quietly. She added in her mind, _I just couldn't bear to lose you again, it got harder every time you left. I do love you, you know. _ Her eyes were closed and she looked uncomfortable.

"I know," I whispered, just for her. I kissed her cheek, and then Alice's. "You, too," I said to my tiny sister.

"Can I get in on some of that action?" Emmett's voice called over my reunion with the girls. "Come here, lil' brother!" He laughed and then made a single bound until he was standing in front of me pulling me into a near bone-crushing man hug. He patted my back and then smiled widely at me, "Welcome home, dude."

"Thanks, Emmett," I said, laughing lightly.

Jasper made his way down the porch steps and Alice flitted to his side. He looked down at the ground and then up again to meet my eyes. _I really, really missed you man. Almost as much as Alice did. She said you'd stay for good if you came home again?_

"Yes, I will," I pledged, in answer to his silent question.

"Good. Welcome back." He stuck his hand out and I shook it firmly. Jasper had always been a man of simple, but important words. He never showed emotion unnecessarily, but that did not diminish his ability to convey the depth of his thoughts or words. All that I needed to know was in his hand shake and simple words. He was my brother in every sense of the word.

For both of us, the separation had been a mixed blessing. Until we had been apart, Jasper had not been able to recognize how bonded he had become to any one of us. He always believed he was here for Alice, but he knew now that he stayed for himself as much as for her.

Even I had failed to realize the intricate weaving of our individual lives and gifts into a cohesive identity. I had felt a part of me was missing without the security of Carlisle and Esme. I felt like there were pieces of me that didn't make sense without having Emmett or Rose to make fun of them. And then there was Alice, and Jasper. Not only could they identify with being different from even other vampires, not only could they relate to the added burden of having an extra sensory gift, but their abilities complemented my own in a very significant way.

When we were separated these last months, it was like I only saw minds in one dimension. When Jasper and I were together, I got an added layer to that dimension. When Alice entered the equation, it was like having a 3-D computer rendered model available to us. At least, it was that way for me. I wasn't entirely sure if they felt the same, but after hearing that I was needed, again and again over the last five years, it was quite likely they did. The relief that accompanied their thoughts also told me they felt somehow complete where they had once felt lacking, as did I.

"Are you ready to see the house, dear? Or shall we get a bite to eat first?" Esme winked at me from where she and Carlisle now stood several feet back from the rest of us. Carlisle looked at all of us indulgently.

I could tell from their thoughts that the expected response from me was split right down the middle. The women wanted to show me the house, the garage and the grounds. Esme hoped that I would feel welcome and loved in our new home, Alice was waiting to see my reaction to a surprise she was hiding the details of, and Rose was just hoping I'd show some sign that I really meant to stay. The men however, wanted to hunt. Carlisle was hoping to see that I had maintained a healthy appetite, Jasper was thinking it would ease the awkward feeling that was brewing within, and I could just tell Emmett was chomping at the bit to race me and would rush Esme until he got his wish. He was mentally chanting the word hunt as a mantra.

I had to laugh. "Okay, okay, we'll hunt first. Then Esme may show me the house at her leisure, Rose can pull my car in the garage, and Alice can tell Rose how we will make room for the new addition I purchased while I was still in Europe. Is that acceptable?" I pointed the question at Emmett, who smiled broadly.

"Hell, yeah! Sounds good to me," he resounded, before reconsidering and turning to Esme. "If, that will be okay with you, Mom," he said with some chagrin.

"Of course, Emmett. If... Edward? That is what _you_ would like to do?" She raised a knowing eyebrow at my brother and I and smiled. Alice and Jasper chuckled, and Rose hummed a small, but pointed "mm- hmm" under her breath before smacking Emmett's arm lightly.

"I'm home. We have all the time in the world, and I honestly can say that neither activity would make this moment any more real. It's real; I'm here where I belong, with you. I care for you all more than I could ever express in words. My only desire now is to show you with my actions instead."

I looked up into the eyes of my father, my creator, and my friend. Carlisle nodded once, and spoke with confidence befitting the patriarch that he truly was. "You already have. Welcome back, son." He smiled and I swallowed the lump in my throat that rose with his proud and confident words. Then with a quick wink, he took Esme's hand and led the Cullen family through the large expanse of manicured lawn that gave way to the wooded forests.

As I followed them into the unknown future, I knew that I was home. But somewhere, in the deepest recesses of my heart and mind, a momentary thought made its way to the forefront of my consciousness. For the briefest of moments, I imagined a world where a beautiful chocolate-eyed beauty might have run at my side, a world where the mysterious Bella Swan might have been part of my family.

_Impossible..._

But, a vampire could day dream.

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**A/N:**

Thank you to Project Team Beta, specifically **cullennite21** and **Say Goodbye Again** for their lightening quick services and assistance on this chapter and the prologue.

Extra special thanks to **Essay33 **for being more than just a beta! She was the sounding board that helped me get a grip on writing Edward for the first time and has made this story more than what it would have been without her. Thanks Ann!


	3. Chapter 2: Homecoming

**The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, March 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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**Chapter 2:**

"**Homecoming"**

The first luminescent colors of dawn were beginning to fill the sky when I finally took the opportunity to investigate my new bedroom alone. I'd seen it during Esme's tour and Alice had already unpacked and placed my clothes inside the closet for me, but I had yet to spend any time here. Not that I was actively seeking solitude the way that I once was, I hadn't been alone for a single minute since Esme met me at the airport eighteen hours ago. My decision to retreat to the spacious third floor quarters I would call my own was motivated only by the inclination to begin making them just that, my own.

I looked through the sets of tall glass doors on the far wall and out into the dawn; even by vampiric standards, the view was impressive. The incredible sight inspired a desire to run though the emerald green expanse of trees rolling up and down the hills that climbed towards the snow-tipped Cascades in the distance. As the first light of the day made its appearance over the horizon, I decided that would be something that I would have to do soon.

Turning from the windows, I surveyed the room again and considered why my mother had insisted on furnishing it with a bed. Perhaps, as Esme mentioned when I commented on the unexpected piece of furniture, her decision was based solely on the built-in floor to ceiling book cases creating a perfect nook for the queen-sized frivolity. Privately, I questioned if the bed's presence in my room had more to do with my behavior over the past five years leaving my family uncertain if I would ever feel at home with them again.

To me, the notion of a bed seemed superfluous until now. I never slept. I was no more comfortable sitting or lying down than I was standing in this very spot. However, the fact was that Esme was hoping I would understand the symbolism of having a literal place to lay my head. The bed was a metaphor for home, and an attempt to give me a place of rest and refuge. It was a kind and loving gesture, a gift that I would cherish but one that tugged oddly at the hole in my dead heart. I would always have a place to take refuge, but never anyone to share it with.

I sat on the bed heavily, noticing for the first time that someone had taken the liberty of bringing in boxes of my personal belongings up from storage. They had already opened them to air out, but thoughtfully left the unpacking and organizing to me. I got up and looked through my things.

I fingered the CD cases that were packed neatly into one box. I had gone completely digital while traveling of course; downloading all of my media onto my phone or MP3 player. My iPod held over 40,000 tracks which I could change up anytime I liked. That was perfect for coming and going, but it would be nice to have an actual library to thumb through once again. How it was possible to miss a simple thing, like tactile contact with small plastic jewel cases, was beyond me.

I could smell the scent of old leather, glue, paper and ink coming from another large box and knew without looking what its contents were; my books. Another box of books smelled more strongly of my own scent and I knelt down to find that a few decades worth of my journals were in that one. I decided that they would stay in the box; my return was meant to be a new beginning. As Esme had reminded me just yesterday, it was best to leave the past where it belonged. I carried the box into the closet and placed it in a corner.

A new sound system, still in its packaging, sat on the floor next to built-in media shelves on the wall opposite the bed. I noticed that the room had already been pre-wired for surround sound, so I got to work on the stereo first. Less than ten minutes later, I had the system in place and powered on, adjusting the speakers to levels that were acceptable given my sensitive hearing. Soon, I had a CD playing softly and was enjoying the feeling of comfort that melodic chords and harmonies brought to the room. I finished shelving my music collection quickly, and had just gone to work on my books when I heard Alice's thoughts and tiny footfalls coming towards my room.

"Hey, slow poke. Aren't you done yet?" She leaned against the open doorway and pretended to tap her imaginary watch.

"Just savoring each moment," I shrugged casually as I answered. I was honestly in no hurry, where was eternity going to go?

"Sure you are, silly. Can I help?" She folded herself gracefully onto the floor just a few steps inside the door. _I know you'll say no. I just wanted to see you. Jazz and Emmett are still playing that ridiculous game._

I had been trying to block the never-ending chess strategies they both filtered through their heads, as well as Jasper's attempts to mess with Emmett during their game. Alice showed me her view of the impatient scowl Jasper wore and the intense look of concentration etched on Emmett's face. I laughed out loud just knowing that his perfect vampire memory made the effort entirely unnecessary.

"That's a wonderful sound, Edward," Alice said quietly. "Promise me that we'll get to hear it more often?"

I looked away from my task and down at Alice. I gave her a sympathetic smile and started to promise that I would try, but her eyes grew unfocused as she became lost to a vision. The momentary concern I always experienced when Alice saw glimpses of the future absolved itself immediately when I saw what she was seeing.

Jasper and I were in the woods doubled over in laughter while Emmett hung upside down from a large tree, ensnared in some kind of metallic cable cord. It looked to be a misguided prank in which the king of comedy himself ended up, quite literally, up a tree. The rest of the family arrived on the scene and burst out in various degrees of amusement just as Alice's vision faded to black.

She looked up at me with excitement. "Well, I can see that we will definitely get to hear you laugh some more!" She jumped up off the floor and kissed my cheek.

"What was that all about, anyway?" I asked her, in reference to Emmett hanging from a tree.

"I didn't see the exact cause, but it seems that your improved disposition will make Emmett unable to resist playing a practical joke. Which will backfire, of course." She shrugged and I laughed.

She began pulling books out of my boxes and dusting them off, then handing them to me. Before long we finished shelving and alphabetizing my library, as well as emptying the rest of the boxes thanks to our vampire speed and combined abilities. She foresaw all of my decisions, and I read her mind when she made one of her own.

Just as Alice offered to remove the last of the storage boxes, the first rays of sunshine were making their way across my floor. I turned around slowly, giving the newly occupied room a once over and tried to decide if I was pleased.

"You'll decide to re-categorize your CD collection, but not until tomorrow night!" Alice's voice called out from the first floor. I thanked the little fortune teller and then looked up at the shelves of music. They appeared perfect to me.

I wandered into my attached bathroom and inspected the shower, which would be the only thing I would require of that room, and only on occasion. Next I inspected the small room that would be my...den? Study? Maybe a music room? I was pondering what to do with the extra space I had been given thanks to my parents' brilliant renovations when I heard a commotion of thoughts coming from Carlisle's study downstairs.

It seemed that Emmett had won the game of chess they'd been playing, but he was accusing Jasper of letting him win, which irritated Emmett. Jasper just wanted to get to Alice and spend some time alone. I directed myself away from those thoughts and focused my attention elsewhere.

Carlisle and Esme decided that as long as the boys were arguing, they would go for a walk together along the river that ran through our property. Alice had freed Jasper from Emmett's clutches and Emmett was off to find Rosalie. I realized then, that I hadn't heard her thoughts in some time.

I stretched out my mental hearing to look for Rosalie until I picked up the subtle strains of Handel's Water Music. She had her iPod in, humming along with the music and flipping through a book, a course catalog for the University of Washington to be precise. The music seemed somewhat outside of her usual preferences, but I couldn't complain. I would much rather share Handel with her than her opinions on the latest reality television series.

I made my way down to where Rosalie was in the family room stretched out across the long side of an L-shaped sectional. Emmett had joined her moments earlier and was sitting on the floor in front of her wondering if it would be rude to carry her upstairs while I was in the house.

I hesitated for just a moment, but decided to ignore Emmett and continue my inspection of the room and its contents.

Rose sat up and pulled out her ear buds. "You're unpacked?" She was still wary of how long I was staying.

"I'm staying, Rosalie." I answered her unspoken concerns first. "And yes, I am unpacked. Are you planning on attending classes, or are you bored?" I nodded at her source of reading material.

"Oh, just thinking through the options. We just got here, and I am not in any hurry to return to high school. Actually, I was relieved when Carlisle decided it would be too risky because we were only in the system five years ago. I like the idea of being _home schooled _for a change, then maybe college." She shrugged and flung the catalog onto the coffee table.

Her response surprised me a little. I could hear her boredom ringing loud and clear in her tone, but Rosalie had always enjoyed the high school facade more than the rest of us. Her longing to be human made the ability to perfect her little game a thrill. She was good at playing human and she loved the attention and fascination the new students at a new school inevitably had for her. Boredom usually did not register to Rose for at least a year.

"Really? No more high school for the prom queen?" I asked playfully.

"It just wasn't all that fun anymore." She shrugged again.

"You're the last one to come to that conclusion, then," I said.

"Yeah. Well things change, don't they?" In that instant, Rosalie's mind flashed through a series of memories from our life in Forks and few from more recent years.

Her mind lingered on the day I saved Bella from being crushed by a van, and effectively broke my own heart. I watched in her mind as the events unfolded. The screech of the tires, Alice's muttered cry, the quad blurring as Rosalie spun to see what was happening. She looked on with fury as I ghosted across the parking lot and threw myself between the van and Bella's fragile body. Her memory was crystal clear, not missing a detail, even though from her vantage she couldn't see us trapped between the two vehicles. Where her memory dropped off, mine picked up. The feel of a warm body burning against me, her breakable head in my hands, her eyes, her breath, her heartbeat.

I inhaled sharply and looked away.

"That's not something that will happen again," I said, barely above a whisper.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I know you would never do anything to place us in danger. I trust you, really." Rosalie spoke softly. When I looked at her, her eyes were downcast. She felt ashamed for bringing it up.

"Thank you, Rosalie. But either way, things like that just don't happen twice. Not for us."

She looked up at me and met my eyes, examining my expression and wondering what I was thinking. Her eyes widened and huffed out a surprised breath.

_You're kidding me? You still..._

"You don't know that, Edward. She was just a girl you barely knew." Rosalie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

Suddenly, recalled in perfect clarity, there was the image of Bella Swan standing inside of a doorway in the school cafeteria. Rose zeroed in on her with irritation. Rosalie's eyes noticed her hair, skin, and clothing, but I noticed something else entirely. Bella's deep, fluid eyes stared back at my sister, frozen in an expression full of intense distress. In the milliseconds that the memory fleeted through Rosalie's head, I saw tears flood Bella's eyes and her face blush with heated color just before she fled the cafeteria and the scrutiny of my sister's gaze.

I felt my body get heavier and my chest close in. I sucked in a desperate breath trying in vain to fill the void.

"Edward, I..." Rosalie was up off of the sofa and standing in front of me, her face full of regret. I stepped away and closed my eyes.

I realized almost immediately that Rose's slip was unintentional; a momentary fleeting thought. Yet, whether or not the act was intentional made little difference. I still would have felt my chest constrict into a ragged, aching hole. Seeing that one memory overwhelmed all of my carefully constructed tranquility. I could feel the anger, doubt, and resentment, hang over me and threaten to crush me.

"Rosie, what's going on?" Emmett stood up confused and very aware he missed something important. He moved to stand between us.

Rose turned to him with a frustrated expression and willed him to understand what would make me turn so despondent. She rolled her eyes at him then turned back to me. I looked between the two of them, watching myself through their eyes. Hearing the concern in their thoughts soothed the anger. In all honesty, I was not really angry with Rosalie. Not anymore than I was angry with myself. Frustrated, I turned around to walk away.

"Edward, please don't go. Seriously, I'm sorry. You don't have to pretend that you aren't upset, or whatever, just stop being so dramatic. I'm going to make mistakes. So are you. But we need to find a way to be in the same room together. Please." My sister reached out from behind me.

Most of the time Rosalie had very little patience for me, as we had so little in common, but her words now were evidence that she was making an effort. I knew she was just being flippant with her thoughts, not intentionally cruel. She knew the subject was off limits. I was beyond being reasonable when it came to discussing Bella with Rosalie, or anyone else for that matter.

Jasper and Alice appeared at the bottom of the stairs where I was standing. Jasper cringed slightly at the tone of emotions in the room. His eyes were sympathetic, if slightly pained.

_You okay?_

I shook my head. I was not okay.

Alice sighed and looked at me with a determined face before searching the future. I saw in her mind that she planned to hug me just a split second before she was in front of me, pulling me down to her in a strong little embrace.

_You're going to be fine. Trust us to be there for you. _She pulled back and put her tiny hand on my cheek. "We won't break if you want to lean on us and you don't have pretend for us either."

I refused to meet her eyes, but saw in her mind how she watched me fearfully, feeling helpless and almost as lost as I did.

_Stay._

I patted Alice's hand and resigned myself to stay where I was. I hadn't come home just to hide from my family, on the contrary, I'd really missed them. Unfortunately, there were moments when my self-pity got the best of me and I responded by retreating farther inside of myself.

"Hey, look Edward. You're only human, as they say." Emmett moved to clap me on the back, meaning to make a light joke.

Jasper intercepted Emmett's hand. "I wouldn't do that unless you want to lose an arm right now, Emmett."

He looked at me knowingly and I felt a small wave of calm run through my body. _Sorry, kid. You are just a little volatile right now._

"Yeah, thanks," I said, wandering past Emmett and Jasper to the windows that looked out across our back yard and the river beyond.

Emmett followed, "Well, whatever. I can put my arm back on as long as you don't set me on fire." He squeezed my shoulder once. _I'll talk to Rose._

With that, his thoughts were immediately relieved of all stress and he returned to sit next to his wife. I wished that my mind was so quickly put at ease. Had he not been focused so intently on Rosalie most of the time, I might have spent more time in the simplicity and openness of Emmett's thoughts.

Alice chimed in with her light, carefree voice. "So I imagine you have some plans now that you're back, Edward. Care to share?" She and Jasper sat down together in one of the side chairs.

"Don't you know?" I asked her honestly.

"No, actually. I see you in your room and running, but that's it. Not very insightful. I just assumed you hadn't really decided yet, but you must have at least thought about it." Her little brow furrowed as she searched for my potential futures. It was shimmery and unfocused, clearly uncertain.

I shrugged. "I guess there is no hurry. I was focused on getting home before yesterday. I'd love to say that it was an easy decision, but I was worried about disappointing Esme and Carlisle if I couldn't follow through." I sighed heavily and breathed in again, trying to push down the memories and regrets.

"You will follow through. Your decision was firm and only strengthened once you got here," Alice said. I loved how my quirky sister could sound like a phony television psychic or a fortune cookie at times.

"Thank you, Madame Alice," I responded.

She ignored me and went back to looking for my plans, which I hadn't apparently made.

"Your new Volvo is arriving soon, right?" she asked, staring off into space. Something was troubling her, but she didn't seem to know what it was.

"I believe it is already in Seattle. It should be arriving at the dealership by truck today." I pulled the details of the shipping agreement to the forefront of my thoughts. The company would send me an email when it arrived at the pre-determined location, then I would call to confirm a time for delivery. In this case, preferably I would make an appointment for after hours or when it would be least crowded. Possibly tomorrow, even tonight.

Alice interrupted my thoughts with a startling gasp. She jumped up with a frightened expression, nearly panicked. "What did you just decide?"

"Nothing, I was thinking about the car. What's going on?" All I could get from her were shuffling images going faster than I could follow. She stopped and looked at me again.

"You disappeared. I had a vision of what we would be doing tomorrow, but it changed and I can't find you. I can't..." She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples. Jasper stood behind her looking just about as frazzled as she was.

"I can't find you Edward. What did you do?" She opened her eyes looking at me as though I'd just ransacked her closet.

"I don't know, Alice. You asked me about the car, I was thinking about the details. I thought that I would be able to pick it up as early as tomorrow. Maybe even tonight, depending on when it arrives. I have to check my email, that's all. Do you mean that you see me leaving, because that's not..."

Alice put a dainty hand in front of my mouth. "Just, shh. Let me concentrate."

I began pacing absently, trying not to be overwhelmed by Alice's radar scans of the future, or the curious, if not slightly concerned thoughts of everybody else in the house. What in the world could a car have to do with my future, or lack thereof?

The Volvo was a purchase I made in Sweden several months ago. It was the most impulsive decision that I considered myself capable of making, considering that I had analyzed and considered all the possible consequences or outcomes that could result. However, on more than one occasion in the past, I had dismissed a possible outcome of my actions without considering all of the variables outside of my own control and made a rather foolish decision. I was beginning to wonder if this was another example.

I did not need the vehicle. We were not planning on playing dress up as high school students this time around. There was no deadline involved, the car had only just arrived in the country and would sit safely at the dealership until I claimed it. Which, with my little breakdown regarding Bella Swan this morning, could wait. I was in no rush to deal with my family's commentary on the new car.

Alice exhaled a gush of air.

"Oh, that's better. Edward, did you see that?" She looked at me expectantly. "Are you alright?" She was worried that I had not responded to her mental voice a moment earlier.

"There are a lot of thoughts flying around the room, Al. I'm fine. What did you see?" I asked.

"It's back. We are going to Seattle tomorrow, it will be completely overcast all day. We're going to Pike Place Market. Antiques, silk, Esme wants a glass piece for the dining room table, oh and you'll pick up your car just up the road at Myers Seattle Volvo around one o'clock." My sister's usually joyful countenance returned while I saw the visions playing out her head.

"Alice, I hate to tell you this, but that's not the dealer I selected for pick-up."

"Edward, you saw it yourself."

"Yeesss... But, I know that I made arrangements otherwise." I looked at her, confusion written plainly on my face.

"Well, change them. I definitely see you driving away from the dealership on Pike Street in a silver Volvo. You may want to drive a little slower, by the way," she scolded playfully.

"Alice..." I searched for her reasoning behind this.

"Just trust me, brother dear. Pick up the car where I tell you to pick up the car." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and smiled sweetly.

"Alice..." I hated when she did stuff like this.

She quickly shook her head and scowled. "No. Trust me." _Please, Edward._

Exasperated, I pinched the bridge of my nose and conceded. I would eventually find out what she was up to, even though it could very well drive me insane.

It didn't take long for any residual tension to leave the room with Jasper around. Before long, the familiar buzz of thoughts and interactions that were the baseline of our family returned to the house.

"So, another old man car. Hey, old man?" Emmett looked up smiling and imagined me in tweed pants and a brown blazer, standing with a cane in front of a decrepit silver car. He chuckled lightly.

"The car's not old, Emmett," I answered.

"No, but you are. You're crotchety too."

"Shut up, Emmett." I rolled my eyes, but smiled a little.

Rosalie laughed quietly under her breath and got up from the couch. "Come on, baby. There's an issue of Motor Trend in the garage that will enlighten you. Quit teasing the old man." She smirked and grabbed Emmett's hand to leave.

A few minutes later, when the giggles emanating from the garage became audible, I decided it was time for the long run through the Cascades that I had been thinking of earlier.

As Alice predicted, Sunday morning brought thick cloud cover and light rain to most of the Seattle metro area. The sun showed itself briefly on our property near the edge of Snowqualmie National Forest, where Jasper, Emmett and I had gone hunting before having to spend the day surrounded by a sea of humanity. By the time we got back to the house however, the clouds had begun to form a mist that quickly thickened into actual rain droplets.

After returning home thoroughly soaked, I ran up the stairs to my, as yet, unused bathroom and prepared myself for the rest of the day. I was not particularly excited about venturing into Seattle to "sight see," as Alice had put it yesterday, but it was an opportunity to pass the time.

I had visited many times over the years and was intimately familiar with the city, its museums, and architecture. Not many of the other things about Seattle, things that were appealing to the normal human visitor, would be of interest to me or my family. We had no desire to partake of the fresh fish and produce that flooded the Pike Place Market, or to spend an evening dining at one of the city's five star restaurants. And as far as cultural events went, we all had such varied tastes it would be rare for the entire family to enjoy a performance together. It was a moot point,however as it was Sunday and there were few events to choose from.

All in all, I was going for the promise of seeing my mother and father with the sublimely contented expressions I took notice of when Alice had her vision yesterday. Last night, she had seen the promise of finding an indie band playing this afternoon that would be something of interest. Not to mention that I would now be picking up my new S60 at Seattle Volvo on Pike Street, rather than at the dealer showroom I had originally made arrangements with.

The owner had been quite accommodating about the whole scenario. He faxed the necessary paperwork and found someone at the last minute to transport the vehicle to the showroom by the time I wanted. He was shocked that I was willing to allow the vehicle to be driven on city streets by one of his employees, but he also seemed quite confident that he had just the man for the job. With Alice's assurances that the car would arrive undamaged, I agreed to the change.

Upon exiting the humid calm of my bathroom, I dressed and joined my brothers outside to wait for the girls who were, as usual, the last to walk out the door. I watched on with amusement as driving privileges were discussed with some heated enthusiasm. A moment before Esme was going to announce that she was purchasing a Suburban before we left the city today, Emmett suggested boys in one car, girls in the other. It seemed to everyone an easy compromise. Finally, with Rosalie driving Esme and Alice in her new X6 and Carlisle driving my brothers and me in his Mercedes, we were on our way for a Cullen family fieldtrip.

By noon we had wandered from Pike Place to First Avenue. While my parents and Alice found the Traver Gallery an intriguing place to spend some time, the rest of us chose to bribe our way into the sound check of a band scheduled to play later that night at a venue less than a block away from the gallery.

The music was good but not exceptional, just an unsigned group with a lot of potential and real talent. One thing about music that I understood was how unique each moment could be. Musical genius could be found in the most unexpected places and times. It was often worth the time listening to the bad stuff out there, if only to have the privilege of getting to experience the moments that resulted in something tremendous or unique. However, it seemed that today wasn't going to be one of those occasions.

The moment we decided that we were done and stepped out onto the street, I received a text message from Alice

_We're around the corner, almost done here._

_Meet you at the dealership?_

_A._

I looked up at Jasper who was snapping his phone shut, having received the same message that I had.

"Alice says they're at another gallery and will meet us at the dealership up the road. Do you two want to tag along or can you find something to occupy your attention for a little while?" Jasper asked Emmett and Rose.

"Oh, I think we'll manage. See you at home?" Rosalie answered.

"See you at home." Emmett winked at us and put his arm around Rosalie. They walked towards the water front, leaving Jasper and I on the corner.

_Shall we?_

"I guess so," I answered.

We walked in companionable silence for a few blocks. Jasper was distracted by the sudden onslaught of human scents that hit us when we passed a busy restaurant. To me, the mixed aromas of human food diluted the intensity somewhat. Their blood still caused a dry burn, but the unappetizing scents carried with it prevented the other physical reactions that accompanied our thirst. I cleared my throat, but Jasper winced slightly.

_Ouch. _

"Yeah," I said, quietly and quickly enough that no passerby would have heard.

_A few years ago, I didn't think I would ever be able to manage that like the rest of you. _

Jasper looked over at me and spoke out loud. "I just assumed I would always struggle the same way I had. I don't know what changed." He was asking for my opinion.

"I wish I had been around you more to know," I answered, remorsefully. "Perhaps it was mind over matter, you said yourself that you didn't believe you could do it. Or perhaps it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Or... simply the passage of time. Some things become more manageable with time." One could hope.

"That's what Carlisle thought. It's definitely better than it used to be. That back there," he gestured towards the crowd we had passed. "That should have had me going feral. I try to focus on the other scents present to distract me, when I can. It hurts, but not from head to toe like it used to. Still, this really sucks sometimes. Forgive the pun."

I laughed at his unintentional word play. "I know, believe me. But I do the same thing, concentrating on other things that I sense. It helps, but not always. That restaurant back there was a little overwhelmed with strong odors, so it helped provide a distraction to some extent." I thought for a moment, while Jasper took some deep breaths testing his thirst and control.

"Jasper?"

"Huh?"

"Maybe, it was_ because_ I wasn't there. When the four of you went back to school in New Hampshire, you must have spent a lot of energy testing the emotions of those around you for any suspicion or irrational fear, and you must have worried about Alice more than anything else. Maybe without me acting as lookout, the necessity to use your gift in order to protect your mate and the family allowed you to focus on something other than the thirst."

Jasper stopped and looked at me. We were now less than a block from the car dealership.

_ You think?_

"I really don't know, but you think about your thirst far less than you used to. It used to take conscious effort to resist, now you seem to have reached a point where the process seems to be more visceral. All I know is that you are suffering far less than you once did and that's a good thing." I smiled sideways at him.

_Yeah, it is. It's good to have you home, did I tell you that?_

"You may have mentioned it," I said, chuckling. "Thanks."

We continued the few steps to the entrance of Myers Seattle Volvo and pulled the door open. The heated air rushed out and over us, swirling with the fresh air of the outdoors. I froze in place and Jasper stiffened next to me in response to my reaction. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and my throat flared ever so slightly.

_Edward? What is it?_

"Do you smell that?" I said in a voice too low for human ears. His eyes scanned the interior of the showroom looking for any sign of trouble.

After inhaling deeply, Jasper's mind filled with the image that matched the scent I caught, or thought that I caught. He took another exaggerated breath and looked at me quizzically. "It's very faint. It could be, but... Do you think it is coming from inside?" he asked.

"I don't know." We tentatively stepped further inside, more heated air swirling around us. I stopped. "Yes, it's there. Nothing else smells like that Jasper." I staggered back from the entrance and let go of the door.

_I'll go. Wait here. Alice will be here any second, I can hear the engine of Carlisle's car. _

I did not watch while Jasper went to scout the showroom. I could not think of what he would find, or not find. I couldn't even think of her name. I wouldn't allow it. I needed to _not_ think of her name, picture her face, or her eyes, or her hair. Unfortunately, I couldn't stop Alice from thinking of all of that, bringing the image to her mind just when she hopped light out of Carlisle's car a moment later.

She gasped. _BELLA! _She grabbed my arm, not bothering to look at my face. "Edward, do you smell that?"

I ripped my arm out of her hand. "Of course I do! Please, Alice. Listen, I'm begging you. No matter what Jasper finds, stay out of this!"

"What's going on?" Esme asked as she stepped out of the car too. "Are you alright Edward?" She and Carlisle had both noted my pained expression and unearthly stillness. I fidgeted slightly after seeing myself through her eyes; I realized that I needed to at least act human standing out here on the street.

"What's wrong, son?" Carlisle asked from his vehicle.

"She's not here," Jasper said, reemerging from the showroom.

"Who?" Esme and Carlisle asked in unison.

"Bella," Alice and I answered them at the same time.

"What?"

"How?"

My mother and father looked between Jasper, Alice and I for an explanation.

Jasper answered for me. "Her scent is here. She was inside yesterday, maybe Friday at the latest. I think she was here for service from where the scent was concentrated, and..." Jasper looked between me and Alice. "Her scent is on what, I believe, is _your_ new S60. They have it ready for you, but it was her scent that led me to it."

Four pairs of eyes focused on me. I felt my chest constricting and my throat raging with a remembered fire. Bella. Isabella Swan. My Bella, was here, in my car.

My feet weren't moving, although I knew they should be. I should be getting as far from this place and that scent as possible. I focused my eyes and realized that Alice was holding my weight up by my biceps. Jasper grabbed me under the armpit and helped me into the back seat of Carlisle's car. Were my legs even working at all? I sat down and looked up into Alice's eyes. They were full of concern and pleading with me.

"Don't. Don't you dare, Edward. It's entirely unnecessary. Esme?" Alice glanced behind her, looking to where our mother stood.

Esme stepped around Alice and knelt down in front of the open door, bringing herself down to my eye level. She took my face in her elegant hands. "Look at me, Edward. You are stronger than any of us. I know you don't believe it, but you are. Your father and I have faith in you that you can handle this. You've done it before, you can do it now."

_ There will be no running this time. Understand?_

Esme slid her hands to my shoulders and smiled. She looked up at Alice for a moment before looking back down at me. Behind the front of motherly affection was a fierceness that was not to be underestimated. Her thoughts were determined, set in her course.

"We are going to go inside, sign the papers, get the keys, and thank the salesmen. You are going to play your role. Alice will drive the car home for you and you _are _coming home with us. We will work through the rest, together, in private." Her smile returned after she finished speaking and she went about smoothing the shoulders of my jacket. "Let's go."

Esme stood and reached out to take my hand. She waited for me to take a breath and gain my composure. "Oh, and Edward? -Try to look pleased to be receiving a $60,000 car when you've legally turned eighteen, will you? Most young men _your age_ would be thrilled, so the humans might notice if you act foul tempered."

I sighed. Esme was right, of course. I had a role to play. Even though I desperately wanted to, I couldn't just go bolting through the streets of Seattle at full speed. Nor could I barricade myself inside a Volvo showroom and refuse to ever leave. I had to play nice.

I was suddenly aware of Jasper's influence on the situation, and felt my tension melting away a little at a time until it was manageable. Carlisle and Alice agreed to wait in the car, while Jasper and Esme accompanied me inside.

For the next twenty minutes, I operated on safe mode. I only spoke when necessary. I concentrated solely on maintaining the appearance that I was human and getting out of there as quickly as possible. The gentleman responsible for transferring the car back into my position was enamored with Esme and terrified of Jasper, therefore he was almost completely unaware of me. Not that this was a bad thing, as I was in no mood for questions or suspicions. No, the bad part was that the man's conflicting fears and infatuation only amplified that fact that, even for a human being, this guy was slow.

Standing inside the showroom, I resisted the temptation to inhale and follow Bella's scent to where it was strongest. I wanted to know everything about her time here. I found myself trying to imagine her standing where I stood, or sitting in the chair Esme sat in. I shoved those thoughts away as much as I could until Jasper allowed his mind to wander, showing me step by step where he had followed Bella's scent. I saw that it was most concentrated near my S60 and in one of the offices. Just as resisting the temptation to wander into that office was becoming too much for me, I signed my name on the last dotted line, and I was free to go.

Keys in hand, I watched while large glass doors were opened to allow the car to be driven from its place in the showroom. I stood just outside the car with my eyes closed, not breathing.

"Can you at least shrug your shoulders a little, Edward?" Esme put a hand on my shoulder, speaking so that only I would hear her.

"I'm sorry," I said, quickly taking a breath. The burn in my throat was building in intensity, and with each passing moment I found myself welcoming it. I wanted to get in the car and flee, but only so that I could be alone with Bella's scent and my accompanying desires. I knew that it was wrong to be indulging in such fantasy, but I couldn't conceive of anything better at that moment than locking myself inside the car for the rest of eternity.

I imagined it. I delighted in it. I needed it. It was mine. The moment, the memories, everything about that scent and what it did to me, it was mine and mine alone. Nobody else would be taking it from me anytime soon.

I sensed Alice approaching and turned to face her, the keys held securely in my hand.

She nodded once. _I wouldn't dream of taking this from you, Edward. Go. You'll be back. I'll tell the others, just enjoy it._

With that, I reached for the handle and held my breath. Before a second could pass, I was in the car and turning the ignition. It took every ounce of concentration I could muster to remember to move at a safe, human like speed as I sped away from the dealership.

It took some time for me to register where I was going. I was driving south on Interstate 5, passing Tacoma when my conscious thoughts returned to processing anything other than the scent that surrounded me, or not breathing it in. Another fifteen minutes and I was skirting past Sinclair Inlet and turning southwest on State Road 3. It was the long way to Forks, the route that allowed me to drive the entire way and avoid the ferries, but there was no doubt in my mind where I was really going. Even while the car moved ahead at over ninety miles an hour, I was moving backwards, returning to the blissful torture that was resisting Isabella Swan.


	4. Chapter 3: Running, Climbing, Failing

**The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by ****Virginia May, ****June 2****010.**

**A/N:**

_I want to take a moment to thank all the readers who have added this to their alerts and favo__r__ites. Your support is phenomenonal and I am truly grateful. Thank you for your reviews as well, I've enjoyed your thoughts so much._

_Thank you to my beta, Essay33; as well as my lovely pre-readers, farawaymomo, b'ella c'ella luna and Jillian Landers. TMR, thank you for validating!_

Minor angst warning in effect for this chapter. ;-)

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

"**Running, Climbing, Failing"**

One week. Seven days. One hundred, sixty eight hours. Ten thousand and eighty minutes.

Ten thousand and eighty one minutes.

The scent was gone. _Her_ scent was gone. The lingering oils of her barely detectable finger prints were all the evidence of Isabella Swan that remained in the silver car that had become my undoing.

Strains of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, Opus 64, ascended from the speakers. The piece had been playing when I first started the ignition last week. From the subtle prints left on the touch-screen console, it seemed that it had been chosen out of the hundreds of selections that I'd downloaded from my iPod before the car had shipped from Sweden. I'd only driven the car a few times in Europe and my fingers never left prints. The oily marks wouldn't have been detectable to any human being, but to my perfected vision they were like a map that recorded the movements of the single human who had inhabited the enclosed space for a moment in time.

How appropriate that the object of my affection would make such as symbolic choice in the music she listened to. A story of tragic love, with tragic consequences. For the last week, each one of the last ten-thousand plus minutes had been spent telling myself that same thing over and over again: tragic love, tragic consequences.

For one girl, the happenstance of meeting me had been so grievously unfair and could have well been fatal. I suppose the same could have been said of Juliet. Perhaps, had it not been for the idiocy and impatience of Romeo, she would have loved and lived a long and happy life. Surely, my Juliet had no idea of how much she might have had in common with the young Capulet. The outcome of any kind of love between the two of us would have been more tragic than even those of Shakespeare's imagination. Had I not ended her life and broken her body, I would have stolen her soul.

The day-old bouquet of her intoxicating scent had incited such a reaction in me, one that left me more certain than ever that I had made the right choice in leaving when I did. The lingering smell of her blood had caused my body to respond as the predator that I was, and even now I had to swallow back the wanting thirst. I could not help but be tempted by thoughts of what it would be like to actually see her; to be confronted with her delicate pale skin and her deep chocolate brown eyes, to be close enough to encounter the full force of her scent, to be lured by the flowing blood beneath her delicate skin.

I thanked whatever god that might be listening for the fact that Bella had not been anywhere near me last week, even as part of me longed for it. And although the biological response to her scent had been overpowering, it was not the thirst that I had been struggling the most with. I felt other, more emotional responses to the very idea of the girl who stirred strange desires in me. Her scent had simply propelled me forward, leading me to revisit everything about Isabella Swan that drew me to her.

My curiosity returned and I found that the penetrating mystery of her silent mind still enraptured me. My protectiveness returned and I found that the memory of her fragile nature still terrified me. My vulnerability returned and I knew that should I ever see this girl again, I would be revealed. All that I am, and I all that I'd fought to protect or preserve, would be threatened by one look.

I was going to have to take another run again, and soon. I needed to feel the cathartic effects of using my full speed and strength. It was easier to purge all the truly reckless inclinations I felt when I was in motion. Additionally, I was going to have to hunt again. Using my instincts and reminding myself of the reality of my situation helped soothe the inappropriate longing I had for Bella. I knew that I should not continue entertaining desirous thoughts about her, but they would not be easily pushed aside just sitting here.

The sound of crunching gravel and the hesitant thoughts of Jasper broke me from my reverie. _Edward? Alice says you're going for another run. I just wanted to know if I could come along._

Jasper, and Alice as well, had wisely kept their distance from me earlier in the week. It took two days and several hours for Alice to convince me that she had never had a vision of Bella in the car, nor had she purposefully arranged the whole catastrophe. I had been quite certain she'd found some way to block me from the truth and had manipulated the situation without my knowledge. Eventually, when I was calm and thinking rationally, it was obvious from her distress that Alice had been nearly as blindsided as I'd been.

In fact, once I was thoroughly ashamed for thinking so lowly of my beloved sister, I found myself disturbed at the lack of knowledge that Alice had regarding Bella. My sister revealed that she had never once seen Bella in Seattle at any time in the last five years. She freely admitted to me that from time to time, Bella had crossed her mind and she'd looked for her future. However, Alice had only ever seen Bella in Florida, or possibly Arizona. Bella had apparently stopped appearing in or around Forks around six short months after my family left. For some time, Alice saw nothing, until she had a vision of Bella with her mother, packing up and selling the house where they had once lived in Phoenix. After that, the only visions Alice experienced seemed to be in Florida or some other sandy and sunny location. Out of respect, and because they knew they would be unable to hide it from me, Jasper and Alice never attempted to keep track of Bella in any other way. It was assumed that she had moved on years ago.

My thoughts wandered back to the present and I opened the door to the Volvo, stepping out and closing it behind me. Running my hand longingly over the door handle, I promised myself that this would be the last time. Of course, I'd done the same thing the last ten times I'd gotten out of the vehicle.

"Edward? Is it alright if I come with?" Jasper peeked his head inside the garage, not wanting to intrude on me if he was unwelcome, or interrupt my moment of solitude.

"Hey, Jasper. That's fine, if you want to come. Um... I'm sorry I disappeared again. And, again, I'm sorry about how I reacted to the... situation." I knew my family had tried to be understanding, but my behavior had been unsettling to say the least.

I believe Rosalie had described me as pathetic. At this moment, I couldn't argue with her.

"Will you stop beating yourself up, please? You're taking me down with you. I may have to kick your butt if you have me loathing you anymore." Jasper stood with his arms crossed over his chest and waited for me at the garage door.

"You would be more than justified." I smiled halfway and shrugged, making my way out and closing the garage door behind me.

"Seriously, stop. I _am _going kick your-" I scooted out of the way just as he lifted his boot towards my backside.

"Okay. I will try." I ghosted away from the end of his boot and smiled. If I weren't so quick on my feet he would have kicked me. I could tell he was planning on staying just far enough behind me to try again if I got any more melancholy while we ran.

"Where are we going today?" Jasper asked, sidling up next to me but hanging back ever so slightly.

"You know I can see what you're thinking, right?" I asked, referring to his plans to keep me within range of his foot.

"Yeah, I know. Maybe it'll keep you in line." He laughed at me, then stopped and looked around. _Which way?_

"South, I think. Goat Rocks? We could hunt," I answered simply.

"Yeah. Alternatively, we could just let the wind take us where it will," he said, knowing I'd just recently hunted, as had he.

I shrugged in response, only caring to run fast and far. Without much preference for any destination in particular, we both began moving in a general southerly direction. Our most recent relocation to Cedar Falls and the strategic location of our property along the edge of a series of large national forests made driving unnecessary and gave us a large range to roam.

When we'd slowed a bit and my head had cleared a little, Jasper fell into step alongside me and was thinking through a list of questions for me.

"Where have you been running off to these last couple of nights?" he asked, wondering if he should instead ask about my talk with Alice.

"North. I think I made it to Canada yesterday. I just ran, not much thinking went into it. I tried not to think." I was comfortable talking to Jasper, which I am sure he had helped along with his empathic ability.

"That's kind of what I thought. I was honestly a little surprised you allowed me to come with you today." A mental home video of my brooding over the last several days flashed through his head.

"Honestly, it was only because you knew that I would know that you would want to talk to me... and you expected for me to avoid talking at all costs." I chuckled at my somewhat complicated circular reasoning.

He slowed and we walked in silence for a moment while he worked up to his words.

"I wanted to thank you for working things out with Alice. I don't think she would ever lie to you in the manner you believed her to, Edward. It really hurt her," he said.

"Japser-" I started.

"No, listen. I can tell you two things, Edward. First, your opinion of my wife matters more to her than whether or not something has gone wrong with her ability. Second, she has been honest with you about everything. Her visions have never missed something like this before, and she's a complete wreck. She's still pretty worried, and she needs you to have faith in her if we're going to figure this out. Up until you started talking to her again, she was more concerned about her relationship with you being permanently damaged than she was worried about the fact that she cannot seem to find Bella's future right now." Jasper put a hand on my shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze, along with a small dose of reassurance.

"I know. Did she happen to mention that I practically groveled at her feet, by the way? I don't feel good at all about the way I've behaved the last week. I am sorry." I ran my hands through my hair. It would have served me right if either one of them had made me get on my knees and beg. Once again, they had both so easily forgiven me.

I took a moment to voice my next thought. "Jasper... I _am_ concerned about what's going on with Alice's ability. As for the rest of it, Alice knows me better than just about anyone else and we've always found a way to work things out. She should have been able to see that I felt terrible about how I've behaved... even before I decided to tell her so. But the fact that she couldn't see something like that, or something as big as Bella being in that car... _that_ really bothers me."

"Me too," Jasper said quietly.

We found a large tree and climbed through the boughs to sit for a while. We watched the forest stretching out before us and both thought about the way that I'd treated Alice.

"She did see you. She just didn't know, until you were literally on your way home, that you were coming to apologize. Alice couldn't see anything but animosity between the two of you right up until then. She thought she was losing you this time. We all were, to be honest." He was quiet a moment, then he shoved my shoulder. "Don't scare us like that."

"I'll try not to."

"Try harder."

"I will. I know that my actions in the last week didn't really do a lot to convince you, but I meant it when I said I was staying with the family for good. Unless... you all get sick of me and kick me out." I made a lousy attempt at humor.

"Not happening, brother. You're stuck with us." He shook his head and tried to imagine the family living separately again. It wasn't a reality that either of us could get our heads around, and for that I was suddenly thankful. We were diverse individuals, but we belonged together.

Snow had begun falling on us due the mountainous elevation that Jasper and I had climbed to. It was an unusually dry snow; the kind that forms crystalline flakes that look a little like the ones human children cut out of paper. I focused my gaze on individual falling forms as they glided down my field of vision. Each one was intricate, unique, beautiful. Most of all, they were delicate, just landing on my cold fingers could destroy them.

I couldn't help but think about how, in time, these snowflakes would cease to exist. Eventually they would melt and return to the ground, or quite possibly evaporate into thin air. They would be gone, and even if they would eventually become something new, they would never again be exactly what they were now. Their time on the earth was fleeting. They were little prisms of frozen water that had so much in common with human beings, and with Bella.

_ Fragile. Unique. Precious. Temporary._

Her time here was limited and fleeting. My time on the earth was a stark contrast, my time was never ending.

"Edward." Jasper tensed next to me, noticing that I'd slipped into this darker frame of mind. He forced a surge of calm on me, almost to the point of making me drowsy; an unsettling feeling for an immortal who never sleeps.

"Stop." I shrugged away from him.

"Sorry, kid. You were begging for it." He smiled at me and changed the subject. "You're hunting again?" _So soon? _His thoughts questioned my motivation.

"Yeah. It helps a little, to remind me of why I'm doing this," I said.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Seriously? You, out of all us, should know why."

_Not at all. I know what the rules are. I know why we need to keep the girl from finding out about us, for all our sakes. And I know why Carlisle would have you steer clear of her, but... I also __know what you feel. _"Humor me, Edward, I'm not the mind reader here. Why are _you_ doing this?"

I felt a small flare of anger. Jasper was the last one of my family that I expected to question me. It was a slight betrayal, especially after how he reacted when I'd exposed myself by saving Bella from Tyler Crowley's van.

"You have no right to ask me that. You wanted to kill her, Jasper! You thought she was a liability, a threat to the family. You only consented to leave her be for Alice's sake. Would you honestly have me do anything other than stay as far away from her as I can?"

"Edward, I'm sorry if I made things more difficult for you in Forks. I was surprised that the girl turned out to be so trustworthy after you exposed her to your obviously inhuman actions, but I was wrong, she was more than trustworthy. In fact, she only grew more protective of you and the family after you left. I personally still think that you did the right thing, but I don't know why you're doing it this way when it causes you such pain."

"Does it matter? It's the right thing to do. Who cares why I do it if it's right?" I answered defensively.

"You're miserable."

"Doesn't matter."

"You love the girl."

"I know."

When I first fought this battle five years ago, it had been easy to tell myself that I did not love Bella. She was just a mortal girl who'd had me battling the monster in me with vehemence I had never known. The way her blood called to me made me hate myself. The intrigue of her silent mind made me think about her far too much. Her penchant for being in the wrong place at the wrong time had me behaving like an irresponsible and impulsive child, on more than one occasion.

_ Not her. _ The thought was all consuming. It was all I could think of when I'd realized that her life was about to end because of a patch of ice and an inexperienced driver. In the days following the accident, I'd remained in Forks to ensure that my family was safe after I'd nearly exposed us. During that time, I'd learned so much about Bella that made me to realize how easy it would have been for me to fall in love with her. She was good, kind, brave and trustworthy. It was obvious that I could not allow myself to fall for her, if only for those reasons alone. I would have ruined her.

It added insult to injury that Bella had been such a selfless creature, one who'd only ever asked for one thing from me; my honesty. My inability to give her what she'd asked resulted in her utter indifference towards me. She'd ignored me completely after I'd refused to speak to her about the incident with the van, treating me as I'd treated her. In the weeks that followed, I'd become more tormented by her apathy than I'd ever been by her blood or her silent mind. She'd never again asked another thing of me, never again demanded my promised explanations, never again demanded my attention. Her indifferent silence at the time slowly began crushing my long dead heart.

I'd finally walked away from her knowing that the very next day, Mike Newton intended to act on his romantic intentions towards Bella by asking her to a dance. Had he been the only one with power to cause me such agony, I might have stayed. Unfortunately, there had been plenty of young men with intentions towards Bella and I knew that she would have to say yes to one of them at some point. The idea had tortured me and I knew that I could no longer stay, lest I do something horribly foolish. Alice had been certain I was not strong enough to walk away, but it would have been unbearable to sit there and watch while Bella gave meaningful attention to a suitor, attention that I'd begun to realize I desired for myself.

Even then, even after leaving her behind, I'd still asked myself how I could possibly love this girl. In my mind, love did not cause such anguish. How foolish I had been.

I would fail to recognize it for months after, but I had loved Bella Swan from the moment our eyes met. I'd been willing to sacrifice everything to protect her. To this very day, I found myself still willing to suffer in her stead.

"You'll continue to suffer if that's true." Jasper's hand was on my shoulder, comforting me, as though he'd been aware of my thoughts. He tried to force some happiness onto me.

"Thank you... for trying. The only thing that matters now is that she is not the one suffering. I did the right thing."

"It's eternity, Edward. I cannot imagine feeling what you feel for very long." His thoughts were hesitant; he wanted to say more but was conflicted. I could hear his thoughts going back and forth, even as he tried to think of something else and keep me out. _It's not right, _came through loud and clear.

Jasper thought about the emotions he often felt radiating off of me. He found himself unwittingly thinking about what it would feel like to live without Alice, trying to imagine the torment. He thought for a moment that what I was going through would not begin to touch the anguish he would feel being without her. Then he thought about the few times he had come across another vampire that had lost their mate for one reason or another. They were all a little different. Some were vague shadows of the immortals they'd once been. Some were merely depressed. Some became devoid of feeling anything other than loss. He was comparing the emotions, comparing the situations to the best of his knowledge. I could see the conclusion he was coming to before he made it.

"Your mate?" He was filled with doubt and conflict.

"I don't know how else to explain what I feel," I admitted.

"Your mate." He tried the words out as though they would make more sense the second time around.

_You grieve for her as though she is lost to you. Because she's human?_

I nodded. It was the only answer I was capable of.

_How is such a thing possible? _Jasper thought, looking away. He again began musing over what he knew from his second lifetime. He thought of his feelings when he met Alice, about the way he'd tried to resist her and failed. She'd scared him to death and completely mystified him, but he was inexplicably drawn to her and unable to fight the hold she had on him. He thought of the other mated pairs he'd known before he met our family.

_ So unfair. So unnatural. It's not... Alice tried to tell me, but... _

"Can that even happen?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know." And I honestly didn't know if it could. I had wondered on occasion if there was something seriously wrong with me. I had never had feelings of this nature for one of my own kind, not once in almost eight decades. Then when I found myself experiencing the unfamiliar anomaly of attraction, it had to be in response to a human. The one human whose blood I'd desired more than I had ever wanted anything in my entire existence.

I didn't want to think of Bella like that, but to think of her as my mate seemed somehow worse. I had no right to feel the way I did about her. Identifying her as my mate implied that I had some kind of right to her, some kind of excuse for my messed up emotions.

"Why do you feel guilty?" he asked, taking note of the emotion I was currently projecting. "You didn't choose this, and you didn't harm the girl."

"I have no place feeling what I feel, Jasper. She's human. I am not. She has a whole life ahead of her, and she probably has someone in that life who wouldn't appreciate me pining after her."

"Yes, that is true. However... these things are rarely one sided. I never considered it, but it would explain Alice's obsession with the girl. It might also explain a few things that happened after you left Forks. Though, I am still reticent to believe that a human could be that significant to one of us."

"No, Jasper. I cannot allow myself to even think about it. She's human, even if it were true, she'd have moved on by now. They all move on... they heal and love again. It's what they do, even if we can't. She could be married by now. She could have children."

_She could..._ Jasper nodded his head once slowly before catching his train of thought and re-directing his mind to something else.

"What do you mean by that, Jasper?" I looked up at him. He was keeping me out of his head and bathing me in feelings of comfort, which did nothing to curb my suspicion.

He sighed heavily and met my eyes. _You're going to find out anyway... _"It's nothing really," he said, jumping down from the tree. "Let's run some more. I'll talk, you listen." He turned and moved away from me, reciting the alphabet backwards with each step.

It was obvious that Jasper was hesitant to open his mind to me, which immediately put me on guard. I jumped down and caught up to him quickly. He started speaking without me having to ask him to. I suppose being privy to my mood let him know that was the best way to handle me at the moment.

"Look, while you were otherwise preoccupied this week, Carlisle and I came to an agreement about something. For whatever reason, Alice cannot see Bella, so if this family was going to be able to steer clear of the girl we needed more information. And before you freak out, I will remind you that we almost unanimously agreed this week that we have no right to insert ourselves into the life of a human if we do not have to."

I stopped mid-step, glaring at Jasper's back.

"I ran a check on her, Edward. School records, work, her vehicle registration. The basics. We know where she lives, works, shops, even when she goes to class," he said, slowing down.

"No. No, no, no. You shouldn't have done that!" I yelled. I could see him coming back to meet me and trying to calm me down.

"Carlisle and I both believed that it was necessary, Edward."

"You should have spoken to me. We could have moved on-" I said, until he interrupted me.

"And how does that help, Edward? We don't know why Alice didn't see her in Seattle before we got here. We don't know why she doesn't see her still. What if that happens again somewhere else?" His words were calm, his tone steady and patient.

I felt myself growing angrier. Jasper knew personal things about Bella, things that I did not. Things that I did not allow myself to think about, he knew. Did he not know that I would never be able to withstand the temptation this would present me? Did he not think of how easy it is to slip up around me, that I would know what he knew?

"What are you trying to do to me, Jasper? What good can come from this? And what of the future? Are we just supposed to spy on her for the rest of her life? Do you realize how sick that is? It's voyeuristic." I groaned at the thought.

"It might be... if you got any kind of satisfaction from the act, but that is obviously not the case. The simple fact is that you're intent on staying clear of this girl, so it's a matter of strategy. She already knew that there was something different about you, about all of us. No need to have any slip-ups in the future."

I looked at him and scowled, of course he would play the trump card. If Bella found out about us, she'd be at risk and he knew that I would never allow that. He rolled his eyes at me and manipulated the emotions between us, amplifying a sense of brotherly camaraderie. I growled in response.

"Let's just think logically about this, little brother. If we were to attempt our human charade without the benefit of Alice, what actions would we have to take to pull it off? You already know what we would have to go through to avoid making mistakes. Sure, we already take precautions in order to avoid scrutiny, but we've always had Alice. If she was not able to warn us when a decision we make leads to a potential problem, then our lifestyle and our methods would be markedly different. Up until now, both you and Alice have allowed our family a kind of freedom that others of our kind do not have. If that changes, for whatever reason, then we have to be prepared to do what it takes to keep the family safe; to keep you safe. We don't know what is wrong with Alice's visions, and if there is even a remote possibility that this girl could become a problem for you, then I believe this to be the best course of action."

"I managed to avoid killing her once before, Jasper. I think I could do it again if I came across her. If what happened Sunday-"

"What happened Sunday was dumb luck. Anything could have happened if you had picked up the car from the dealership where Bella works. Had you been exposed to her scent directly, things could have been bad, and you know it."

"Bella works at a dealership?" I stopped pacing and looked at him. Jasper's confession caught me off guard. Bella. Working. For an automotive dealership.

"She does." Jasper seemed to understand not to say too much, but he must have sensed my confusion and added another detail. "It appears that she works there to pay for school. She will be receiving a Bachelor's degree soon."

The tiny bit of information he'd given me soaked in. The details that I got from Jasper resonated in my mind, feeling a lot like cold rain to a sun-scorched patch of earth. It was quenching a thirst in me that had nothing to do with blood. I wanted... No, very nearly _needed_ to know that Bella was alright, that she was thriving. I desperately desired to know that she was happy. If she was happy, then everything I'd fought over with my family would be worth it. I repeated my brother's words in my head over and over. Work, school, a degree... I could feel the desire building, growing and burning in me. I wanted to know more.

That admission suddenly filled me with rage. In my anger I slammed my hand against the trunk of an ancient conifer, hearing it groan and quake under the strain. I wasn't so angry as to lose all control and knock the massive tree down, but as I watched the needles and bark falling to the ground, I could feel myself slipping.

"What did you mean, '_She could'_? When I said that she could be married, or have children? You thought, '_She could'._ Don't you know those things?" I was definitely slipping and Jasper too easily indulged me.

"I don't know any personal details for certain. I only pulled up the vital stuff. Her address-"

"STOP! Stop. Please... I don't need to know this."

Whether he realized it or not, his mind was revealing facts about Bella's life at an alarming rate. Flashes of her home address, her student records, vehicle registration. Things that I of all people shouldn't know. I was reduced to begging for relief.

"I can't... I can't do this, Jazz." My voice deflated from a yell to barely a whisper.

Jasper cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Edward. I had planned on giving you the option of knowing or not knowing. I'm the one with the information, and I thought I could control myself. If it makes you feel any better, no one, not even Carlisle, has any knowledge of this. If you don't want to know any more than you already do, that's fine. But, if you want to see what I have on the girl... I'll be here when you're ready."

I nodded my head slowly, reluctantly admitting that at some point I would probably want to know what he knew. I turned my back to Jasper and retreated into my own thoughts further. I could sense my wavering commitment to the path I'd chosen five years ago. I could feel the change coming as though it were a palpable thing. It was terrifying and I knew no matter how far or how fast I ran, it was something I couldn't outrun.

Eventually, Jasper and I hunted. Nothing else was said about the subject of Bella. Jasper was mindful of his thoughts and still believed that it was best for all involved to stay away, despite the discussion revolving around my feelings for her. He sincerely hoped that knowing something about her would make things easier for me, but was careful in allowing his mind to wander too far and expose me to information that I wasn't ready for.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Jasper challenged me to race him home. I won, as expected, but my lead wasn't by much and Jasper was very pleased. We crossed over the small river and into the back yard just as night fell.

Alice was waiting for us on the back deck when we arrived. After a moment or two gauging the atmosphere between Jasper and I, she jumped up and ran into her husband's arms.

"Nice to see you too, Alice," I said, as she ghosted by me. She giggled at my comment.

"Sorry, Edward. I've been waiting patiently. I wanted to see Jasper and you've had him to yourself all day!" She hopped down from Jasper's embrace and turned around to look at me. _So we're burning the evidence, huh? I saw your decision._

I let out a sigh and shook my head, as she rolled her eyes at me. Jasper noticed our silent conversation and looked to Alice to fill him in.

"He wants to burn the evidence you've gathered," she informed him.

"A little archaic, don't you think? It's just a flash drive. You could crush it with far less effort," Jasper said.

I ran my hands through my hair and thought once more about the information that I knew he had for me. Getting rid of it was only symbolic. I could delve into my brother's mind with little effort, even though it would always be wrong for me to do so. I couldn't invade Bella's privacy anymore than my brother already had.

Apparently my siblings had doubts, and their thoughts were getting a little loud.

"No, I don't want to know, Alice. Yes, a fire is a bit much, Jasper. Call me old-fashioned. I need to purge Bella from my mind, and from yours. The fire is purely symbolic, but keep your thoughts to yourself of you're going in next."

Jasper laughed at me and Alice frowned at my pseudo-threat, hating that I had a propensity for being for too dramatic in her opinion.

We made our way to the kitchen, where I waited while Jasper retrieved a USB drive from his room. He acknowledged me with a nod and mentally asked me if I was sure that I didn't want to look through it. I shook my head, we both knew that at some point I would likely pick up on all the facts that would be eternally cataloged in his mind anyway. At least he was willing to try and help me keep that from happening.

We made our way outside to the deck. It surprised me a little when I noticed that Carlisle and Esme were on their way to join us, they appeared a moment later from the kitchen, followed by Rosalie and Emmett coming up the stairs from the back yard.

I looked back and forth between all of them, as they greeted me in their minds.

Carlisle cleared his throat, a human habit he had picked up from hours posing as a human physician, and clarified the reason for their appearance. "Hi, boys. Alice." He acknowledged her with a nod. "We just wanted to know if we should go now."

"Or can we stay and join the bonfire?" Emmett added, flipping a lighter in his hand. He tossed it to me.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Bonfire?"

"You're not the only one with ears around here, you know." Emmett answered.

I shook my head and looked at a confused Esme. "Mother, would you care to use your fire pit for the first time?'

Her face lit up with a smile. "Of course, you know I've been meaning to use it at some point. Any particular reason?"

Jasper cleared his throat and held up the flash drive.

"Ah." She nodded, though she didn't entirely understand my motivation. None of my family really had any idea what I was doing at the moment, but they were willing to take part in the theatrics for my benefit.

Collectively, we headed through the kitchen to the back deck of the house. Esme was excited to use the summer kitchen for the first time and opened the screen that covered the stone fire pit. Jasper put the small memory card in his palm and smashed it before placing the dust on top of the wood. He looked over at me, holding out his hands for the lighter. I tossed it to him and he had a fire ignited in less than a second.

As we watched the crumbles of plastic and metal burn among the wood, I could feel the collective thoughts around me shift and I knew that several questions were coming before they were even formed. I was consequently bombarded with their attempts to hide their curiosity and concerns.

_Edward..._ It was Esme first. I turned to look at her and she mentally asked permission to ask me as question. I knew if she didn't ask, Alice and Carlisle were right on her heels. I looked into my mother's eyes and nodded once.

"Is she all right?" My mother was truly concerned.

She knew how fragile human beings were, and had heard how Bella had a tendency to injure herself. She also knew how important she was to me and feared for me should anything ever happen to Bella. I shared her concern. It terrified me, if I was honest about such things. I'd wondered that every day for the last five years.

I looked around the patio at the others and then to Jasper, who seemed stoic in his commitment to keeping the information a secret. He waited only for me.

"Honestly, I'm weary from all the walking around on eggshells, and mental onslaughts of random trivia, song lyrics, and compromising positions." I looked at Emmett who met my eyes with mild embarrassment and just shrugged. "Will it end if you all know?"

Esme spoke first, following my eyes and sending a glare of her own in Emmett's direction. "Well, I can assume that the compromising positions will stop now. But as for the rest of it, you know that we only ever have your happiness in mind," she reminded me.

I nodded, understanding that for the most part my family tried to give me peace.

Jasper stared at me for a long moment, giving me an opportunity to change my mind. I shook my head that I wouldn't and turned around looking out over the railing into the night. I took a deep breath and said out loud all the things that I swore I wouldn't.

"I only know this. Bella has lived in Seattle for the last four years. She goes to UW, and she works at Volvo as a service adviser, which explains how she ended up in my car."

General thoughts of surprise filled the room at the mention of Bella's occupation.

Jasper chuckled, picking up on Rosalie's reaction. "She's not a mechanic, Rose."

Rosalie snorted and rolled her eyes, feigning disinterest. She was in utter disbelief that she could have anything in common with the annoying human girl that her brother was obsessed with. I continued my debriefing and ignored her.

"Jasper believes that she's a good student, she works hard, and she's fiscally responsible. Oh yes... and she still drives that old Chevy truck, at least it's still registered to her name." I looked at Jasper to confirm that last fact as it had been so fleeting.

Behind me Rosalie and Emmett were both thinking that they ancient red beast shouldn't even be running anymore, while Esme and Carlisle slowly digested everything that had been revealed.

Carlisle felt somewhat assured that our family had not negatively or permanently affected Bella's life, and Esme was happy to hear that she was a good student with a strong work ethic.

Carlisle looked at me, smiling gently. _Those are admirable qualities son, especially in Bella's generation._ _ I hope you feel some relief knowing she leads a decent and promising life. _

Relief?

I was not sure that was the right word. I was not exactly sure what I felt at that exact moment.

Bella Swan was living her life. It was a life she wouldn't have gotten to have if I'd stayed in Forks. However... Was I relieved to hear that she did the same exact things that millions of humans across the planet did every day? There was nothing revealing in Jasper's words. Bella went to school, she worked, she drove an old truck.

No, it wasn't enough to bring me relief. It only served to ignite a smoldering desire to know more. Unfortunately, it was not just a desire to know more about her, but to know _her_. I wanted to know the woman, not the statistics.

No, relief was not the right word. I was fairly sure that there were no words to describe what I felt for Bella Swan.

Another week crawled by becoming an agonizing exercise in self-control. Each hour was like a deliberate climb up a staircase that never ended; one on which the stairs grew steeper, taller, farther apart, and more treacherous with each one step.

I had somehow managed to regain some composure when I was around my family in the last few days. I had chosen to behave as though nothing had happened at all, and for now, it was working for everyone involved. It was no surprise that I'd adapted, quite easily adding the role of "devoted brother and son" to my resume. And for as long as they were willing to allow it, I would pretend that each day was just another day in front of my family.

This particular day had brought with it torrential rains, and for the first time since returning to the family I sat down at my piano. It took me sometime to gather the desire to play, knowing that all of my siblings and my parents were nearby. Music had always been so personal to me, perhaps even more so in recent years.

It was my therapy, the one place I felt like I could let out all of my feelings and desires without harming anyone or anything. As the rain that pelted against the windows fell into a rhythm I recognized, I pulled from my memory a concerto that matched the cadence of the storm. I put my full attention to the instrument before me, blocking out all else, my thoughts entirely devoted to the music and the sound of the rain.

Of course the others were aware of what I was doing, but it was only because we were all very good at playing our roles and fairly good at spotting others doing the same. They let me be and graciously kept their thoughts directed elsewhere. Only Jasper knew the reality of the pain I was in, despite my smooth exterior.

Rosalie was the most willing to aid and abet my self deception. I spent yesterday in the garage with her and Emmett. Emmett studied me closely, watching for the crack in my facade that never came. However, Rosalie was content to pretend all was well in the world, and while we were working on one of her pet projects, it was almost possible to get caught up in her reality and believe that our lives were as they had been years and years ago.

Naturally, Alice and Jasper had the most difficulty allowing me to stay safely confined in my protective bubble. Jasper noticed each and every individual battle of wills between my head and my heart. And being privy to my emotions, he had also come to the solid conclusion that Bella was it for me. I was changed forever because of meeting her. Unfortunately, he could not reconcile what he felt from me, with what his head told him about a vampire having a human mate anymore than I could. Consequently, I was subjected to his warring thoughts on the idea, which only served to amplify my own darker emotions, which made us fairly poor company of late.

To complicate matters, Alice had started to have flickers and flashes of Bella. And while part of me remained fervently against form of spying on Bella, the mystery behind Alice's lack of foresight continued to be far too serious to ignore. Now that she was finally having a breakthrough, it hardly seemed reasonable to tell her to leave the matter alone. It was all still a great mystery.

There seemed to be no pattern to the visions, or lack thereof, and Alice's frustration with the situation had increased to the point where she begged me to help her evaluate the glimpses she was getting. She knew it was unfair to ask me to do so, but I was the only one in the family who could see what she saw, so I relented. Not that I was able to look at the situation from an academic perspective. When a flash of foresight came through for Alice, it only took moments for her thoughts to wander from analytical to emotional. She missed the friend she barely got a chance to know. She longed for the sister she felt had been promised to her in her earliest visions of Bella. Despite the fact that Alice attempted to hide her thoughts as soon as they appeared, the intensity of the sentiments behind them was impossible to ignore. Alice wouldn't be happy again until she saw Bella, and preferably as a part of our collective futures.

The rhythm of the rain changed and then lightened considerably, and I found myself transitioning from Beethoven to Chopin in response. I continued to concentrate on the sounds of my instrument and the phrases in the music. Despite my attempts to stay isolated, I was becoming increasingly aware of Alice's mind. Her thoughts were shifting and I felt the telltale change that occurred when she has a vision of the future. Although I tried to pour more of my attention into the music, Alice's mind was suddenly filled with the clearest vision she'd had of Bella since this chaos began barely two weeks ago. I gasped and my fingers fell slack, the music abruptly ending in discord.

_Bella's beautiful face. She's smiling, laughing, walking hand in hand with a bright eyed toddler. The toddler dressed as a ballerina, twirling around Bella and singing. Bella listening with exaggerated interest, "oohing and ahhing" for the child. Bella walking the girl to a car and opening the doors before placing the child in the back seat, buckling her seat belt. The little girl placing her small hands on Bella's cheeks and giving her Eskimo kisses with her nose. Bella laughing and kissing the little one's forehead before getting in the driver's seat and closing the door._

The vision ended as quickly as it began and although my mind was reeling just trying to process what I'd seen, I clearly heard the hurricane that was Alice as she flew down the stairs without restraint.

"You have to let me go with you," she cried, not even making it all the way down the stairs before she began her pleas.

I sighed. "No, Alice. We're not going anywhere near her. It doesn't involve us," I answered, my voice sounding small but firm.

"Please, Edward? She'll never even know we're there."

"No. I think this family has done enough spying already, I will not condone further invasion of her privacy." My voice became stronger as my irritation grew. "Especially now, especially not with that particular vision."

"Edward! It's not for a few days at least. The sun was shining so I think Saturday maybe... but you're going." She was standing beside the piano bench, looking down at me with her hands on her hips. I noticed that Jasper had joined us and now stood leaning against the wall behind his wife. I met his concerned eyes for a moment and then turned my attention back to Alice.

"Alice, stop. Did you not even process what we've just seen? There was a child, a very young very innocent child there. Please, stop. This is hard enough for me. I'm not going anywhere near Bella now, and neither are-"

"How can you not _need _to know?"

"Because it's not about what I need, Alice," I groaned out.

"Look, I know this is hard, but she was supposed to be a part of this family. I can't see that now anymore thanks to you, and this is the first thing I have seen of Bella's future that I've seen since. Whatever the case may be, I want to see her for myself, Edward! And so do you."

"I think you'll see just fine as it appears your visions are back. Congratulations." I said, with a distinct edge of bitterness in my voice. Whether it was directed at Alice, or at the intense feelings brought on by what I saw in her sudden vision, I honestly didn't know.

Alice wrapped her arms affectionately around my bicep and laid her head on my shoulder. "Edward, I'm sorry you had to see something you didn't like. But, I saw her again. That's good, isn't it?"

I nodded reluctantly, it was good.

She released me and stood up to leave. "Maybe the reason I haven't been able to see her is because she isn't a part of our future anymore. Maybe she's moved on. I would like to know for sure though." She gave me a sad smile and I knew that she already that Alice was determined to get her way.

_She won't know you're there if you go see her, Edward. Maybe you will feel better having just seen her. She looked happy._

I looked at Alice and I felt a surge of emotions wash over me. Bella had indeed looked very happy in the vision. I wasn't sure how to feel about that, but I couldn't help the small smile that crossed my face at the image of Bella smiling in the vision I'd just witnessed.

Alice left me alone and I turned back to my piano.

My fingers were still in place over the keys, but I honestly couldn't recall the notes I'd been playing before. I looked out through the windows into the rain and clouds, but saw only brown eyes. I listened for the sounds of the water hitting the house and the ground, but heard only the laugh of a child.

I closed my eyes and they were both still with me, Bella and the child. Struggling to remain in control of my emotions, I forced my fingers to play, paying little attention to what came out.

There was something familiar about the child. Something about her laugh and her eyes, even her smile, they seemed to beg for recognition. She looked nothing like Bella, a fact that had me feeling an inappropriate amount of relief, but the very thoughts of who the child might be in relation to Bella haunted me.

What if?

An entire list of 'what ifs' passed through my mind inside of a second. I could tell from Alice's vision that Bella was attentive and loving towards the child. Yet the sight of her caring for a child, in any way at all, did strange things to me. I tried to wrap my mind around the reality that someday, if not already, Bella could and should become a mother.

God forgive me, I also found myself becoming fixated on how that would miracle of life would come about. Bella would eventually have someone in her life; someone touching her, someone loving her, someone making a child with her.

Something very deep inside me burned at the very idea of my Bella belonging to another man. My heart clenched and twisted at the suggestion of another man possessing the girl I'd fallen in love with. I'd known when I left, that this would happen someday. I'd left Bella to give her the opportunity to live her life as it should be. It was my choice.

I had just not known how excruciating it would be. I'd not known that watching her life go on without me would cause this symphony of painful emotion and desperate longing. It was as close to physical pain as I'd felt in ninety years. In many ways, it was possibly greater than the pain I'd endured through my change.

I channeled some of that pain into my playing until I heard my beloved piano groaning beneath the abuse. I swiftly stood and left the house through the front door, stopping about twenty steps from the door. I sat down there in the rain, feeling utterly defeated.

I knew that it was wrong of me, but I wanted to know about Bella. I wanted to know about that child. I would try to stay away. I knew I had to stay away. I had to…because I also knew that I was not going to be strong enough to walk away from Bella a second time.

I needed to make plans for Saturday that would keep me far from Seattle, and far from Bella and the child.

I contemplated my options as I sat in the pouring rain. Perhaps accompanying Esme on a trip for the weekend? She often left town to pursue her hobbies and I'm sure she would put up with my sullen attitude and even find a way to comfort me as she always did. Even as I considered all of the other ways that I could put physical distance between Bella and myself, I knew in the deepest recesses of my heart that I was likely to fail.

I'd been failing from the moment I opened the door to that Volvo dealership on Pike Street. I was now exhausted from the effort of staying away from Bella. I always knew she was out there somewhere. Knowing _exactly_ where she was at this moment made everything so much more precarious. It wouldn't take much at all to send me running back to her, begging for admittance into her life. If she would have me. If she hadn't moved on. It would only take a small push for me to end up right back where I started.

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**End Notes:**

_Thoughts, theories?_

_Let me know in a review._

_Hugs, Ginnie_


	5. Chapter 4: Eye to Eye

**The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by ****Virginia May, ****July 2010.**

**A/N:** _Thank you Essay33 and PTB for your beta services. I cannot remember who exactly helped with this monster, but I think both parties were involved. _

_My pre-readers; you ladies rock! Thank you, thank you._

_Everyone else: This is the chapter I think you've been waiting for. _

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**Chapter 4:**

"**Eye to Eye"**

"All set, Edward?" Esme asked as she stepped gracefully from the front porch of our home with a small overnight bag in hand. She was glowing in the sunlight that peaked through thinning clouds and her smile matched the luminescence of her skin.

"Yes, we are. Rosalie gave us the green light. Everything under the hood is in order, and I'm packed. Are you ready for your weekend?" I asked, as I took her bag from her and laid it in the trunk of the Vanquish next to my own.

"I'm quite ready, and quite thrilled to be doing this with you. Thank you, dear." She placed a small kiss on my cheek as I held the passenger door open for her. As soon as I took to the driver's seat, we left immediately for our destination.

Esme was in high spirits and her head was filled with thoughts of the upcoming days. Our so-called mother/son weekend was all she'd thought about since I asked her if she would accompany me out of town. She didn't mind that it was an attempt on my part to avoid being tempted by Alice's visions of Bella. In fact, because she was used to traveling with Carlisle, who preferred to surprise his beloved everywhere they went, she was entirely open to anything we did as long as we were together.

As a thank you of sorts, I allowed my mother the liberty to choose the destination and itinerary for this trip. I couldn't find it in me to care where we went or what we did, as long as it was not in the direction of fulfilling Alice's vision. In retrospect, I should have insisted on one stipulation; a minimum five hundred mile distance from Seattle. However, as I had failed to do so and then gave Esme free rein, we were now on our way to Vancouver, British Columbia. A very large part of me wished that she had chosen somewhere on the East Coast, or in South America instead.

For the first hour of the drive north, Esme read silently while I listened in. After so many years together, she knew that reading was always a shared experience when I was around. She intuitively chose something we would both enjoy, though I think I enjoyed her inner monologue more than the supernatural novel itself. Later, she shared with me her intended stops while we were in Canada and asked me for some input. We decided on an ideal area of wilderness for hunting, should the need arise, and ironed out the details for the next few days. We also contemplated a possible camping trip that the family could make together at a later date. It would be our first such trip since my return, the thought of which left both of us smiling. It was hard not to smile around Esme when she was happy.

"I think I'll call your father, if you don't mind," Esme said just after we'd cleared the Canadian border. "I am sure he's somewhat anxious. I've been wondering how he'll make it the whole weekend without me there to distract him from the fact he has no job at the moment."

I tried to hide my knowing smile at her words. It was Friday morning and she was correct, there was no way that Carlisle was going to keep himself busy in Washington for the next three days without his wife or his vocation. Little did Esme know that Carlisle and I had already made arrangements to include him in this little getaway, and he was to fly into Vancouver Saturday evening to surprise her.

Just as Esme began sharing with my father her plans to visit a world renowned restoration expert regarding one of his oldest paintings, my own phone began ringing. I looked over at my mother, who seemed equally puzzled. We both wondered silently who would be calling, due to the fact that the whole of our family was together at the house in Cedar Falls today.

I fished the phone from my pocket and saw that the number was one in Seattle that I didn't recognize. I silenced the phone, allowing it to go to voice-mail as was the standard when we were not expecting a call.

A moment later the phone beeped to indicate that I had a new voice message. I waited politely for Esme and Carlisle to finish their conversation before even considering retrieving the message. Once my mother put her phone away, I dialed into my voice-mail.

After hearing only the first five words of the message, I gasped audibly and my hand jerked on the steering wheel enough to make a noticeable change in our course. Although I had managed to maintain perfect control of the car even with my sudden swerve, Esme looked at me in alarm. Not in eighty some years that I'd been driving, had I made a mistake like that. But... never in a million years could I have been prepared for what I heard when that message began playing back.

"Edward, what's wrong? What is it?" Esme whispered to me, as though she expected a nearby threat to appear.

I removed the phone from my ear and looked at it like it was the Serpent himself. What the hell?

_ "_Edward. What is going on?" Esme asked with her own brand of gentle firmness.

I pressed the key to replay the message again and pulled it away from my ear to allow Esme to hear it too.

_"Uh...Hi. This message is for Mr. Cullen. This is Bella Swan getting back to you about the part you ordered. I needed to discuss that with you further. You can reach me here until five-thirty this evening. The number is (206) 555-3815. Um... I'm off the rest of the weekend so if you don't get this today, I won't be in again until Tuesday morning. I hope to hear from you before then. Thank you."_

I stared again at the small cellular device in my hand as Esme gasped. Even if the caller hadn't identified herself, I would have known that voice in an instant, but even Esme heard the name on the message. It was Bella.

Though I had the words committed to memory, I listened to the message another time, honing in carefully on the tone of her voice, and the noises coming through the phone underneath her words. Her breath was unsteady, and the words trembled ever so slightly. I could hear the buzz of other voices in the background and the sound of an engine running somewhere nearby. I heard a man's voice humming indistinguishably behind hers.

From what I could hear, I assumed that she had to have been at work. Between that information and the content of her message it took me less than half a second to deduce what was going on. Growling softly, I snapped the phone shut.

I'd been set up.

"Edward, perhaps we should pull over." Esme took the phone from my hand, fearing that I would crush it to bits in the next moment.

"Do you know why?" asked her through my now clenched teeth.

"No. Do you think..." _Alice? _She didn't want to say it out loud.

I answered before she had to think to very long on it.

"No, never. Not after what happened last week." I answered. If I was being entirely honest with myself however, the thought had crossed my mind too- the instant before I dismissed it entirely.

I took a deep breath, thinking through all the options. "Emmett seems the next likely suspect. He and Rosalie took off a couple of days ago, and before that, Bella was on his mind far more than I was comfortable with. He apparently took somewhat of a liking to her after I left Forks." I probed Esme's mind for an indication that Emmett had acted suspiciously in front of her, although the fact that I was still reeling from hearing Bella's sweet voice made it very difficult to concentrate.

Just as I could tell Esme was about to say something my phone vibrated with the arrival of a new text message.

_It was Emmett. _

_I didn't see until it was too late to stop him._

_Must have been impulse decision._

_Rosalie already going to punish him enough for both of you._

_Call me later._

_A._

Esme put the phone away after showing me.

"Oh, Edward. I'm sorry, I have to admit that Emmett and I spoke briefly about the possibility of intervening. However, after thinking about it thoroughly, I told him that we cannot pretend to know what the best course for you to take. Not with an innocent girl's life hanging in the balance... and especially not with my own private wishes for you influencing my reasoning." Esme turned her body to look at me, her wide eyes full of fear and remorse. "I'm so sorry, I'm afraid I may have had something to do with this. Can you ever forgive me?"

I cursed myself silently as my mother sat there wondering what my reaction would be to her words. She was afraid of me. Not physically afraid that I would harm her, but afraid nonetheless. This woman who had been everything a mother could be to a child, who gave only love and kindness and acceptance, was worried I would reject her and be angry with her. I pulled the car almost violently over to the shoulder, coming to a sudden stop. I wrapped my arms around her as gently as I could.

"Esme, this is not your fault. I understand. I know you and I know Emmett. Even if you entertained the thoughts, I know you wouldn't have condoned anybody making decisions for me. Damn Emmett for being an impulsive idiot, but I know that _you_ would never do anything manipulative or dishonest. I know how much you love me and that you only want my happiness." I looked down and sat back, releasing her. "Please, please, do not blame yourself. I am angry, yes. I'm also confused and conflicted. I already lash out far too easily at everyone, and..." I struggled to finish putting my own thoughts into words. Esme seemed to understand and reached for my hand.

"Edward, don't. You love someone whom you believe with your whole heart you cannot have. You've selflessly put your own needs aside for the betterment of another. Of course you are conflicted. But I do worry. You've been fighting against yourself for far too long, Edward. I can see it in your eyes and in your every movement. You're growing weary." She stroked my cheek with her free hand.

"I don't have a choice."

"I know you don't think so. I know that. I just wish you could understand how I see things. You've always been quiet, Edward, but you were passionate too. Everything you did; every book you read, every musical composition you learned or wrote, every language, every medical procedure, all of the things you used to enjoy... They used to give you a sense of accomplishment and brought you joy. There was life in your eyes, and now... it's gone. These last two weeks, you remind me of myself... my human self. I was weary then, too. I gave up. I quit trying to live and tried to just survive, and when I lost the one thing that mattered more to me than my own life..." Esme took a ragged breath and I looked up at her pained face.

"Shhh, Esme." I squeezed her hand and wrapped it inside mine.

"I'm afraid, Edward... I'm afraid that if what happened to me happens to you... If you gave up and then something happened to-"

"Don't say it, please," I begged her.

_I'm sorry, love. I know, but I have to think of these things. I cannot lose another son._

We were both quiet for a moment, lost in our own thoughts. The hum of the engine and the sounds of passing cars provided my only distraction from Esme's mind and my growing anger with Emmett for pulling Bella back into our lives.

Esme began to recite a poem that she found comforting and glanced over at me again with a small, but sad smile.

"Do you realize that I am the only one who has never met her?" Esme lifted the hand that was not intertwined with my own and began straightening and smoothing my collar in a motherly fashion.

Her words surprised me. That fact had never occurred to me. She was of course, correct. Every other member of the family had met Bella in school, except for Carlisle, who'd met her at the hospital.

Esme's smile was kind, but I could tell this was a fact that deeply upset her. She felt mildly excluded and had a deep, but understandable longing to see this girl who had affected my life so greatly. She had only imagined Bella from Alice or Rosalie's description, but she had always thought that the young woman in question must have been very special. As Esme sat next to me, the girl constructed in her imagination was nothing like the real Bella.

"You're not even close," I chuckled, momentarily distracted by Esme's mental sketches.

She looked at me with a sheepish expression. "I'm not surprised." She turned away, looking out the window and sighed. "I don't suppose..." She looked back at me and shook her head, before looking away again. "No. No, I'm sorry for asking."

Her request shouldn't have caught me off guard, but when she voiced it with such hope behind it, it made it next to impossible not to give her what she asked. Or I was just looking for an excuse. I stared out through the windshield, pondering just how harmful it would be to see Bella again.

Just once. Just for a moment. Just long enough to give Esme a face to go with the name.

That was all it took. That was the push that I knew would come. My mother's longing voice and hopeful eyes were more than enough to give me cause to let myself slip over the edge and let go of all I'd been fighting against. Even if Emmett hadn't meddled, even if Bella hadn't called, eventually something would have driven me to see her again. The mystery of the child in her life was enough to drive me mad, but also give me a reason to stay away. I never imagined that it would be Esme who gave me the reason I needed to follow my heart.

I took a deep breath, steeling my resolve to follow through before I spoke. I was not going to cause this gentle woman disappointment again. Even so, when I finally gazed at my mother, it was almost out of desperation, as though I hoped somehow she would be the strong one and talk me out of this. She sensed my eyes on her and turned to meet them.

"Maybe..." I said slowly.

Esme's eyes brightened subtly and she smiled her gentle smile.

"Maybe someday," she answered for me before I could finish.

I shook my head and grabbed the steering wheel. "No, Esme, not someday. Today."

Before the shock of my words even had time to register on her face, I pressed my foot down on the gas pedal. If I turned around right now and drove fast enough, we could get back to Seattle before five-thirty.

We pulled off of the freeway onto Ravenna Boulevard just shy of five o'clock. I found myself shuffling through every moment I'd ever shared with Bella; sorting through the memories as though they were a slide show, popping up one after the other, over and over again. I was plagued now by thoughts of all that I had learned about her in that short time, as well as all that I'd failed to uncover, and all that had most likely changed by now.

Five years was a significant amount of time in a human life, especially when they happened to be the first few years after a child leaves behind childish things and enters adulthood. It occurred to me that I could not pretend to really know anything about this girl, who, as remarkable a young woman as she'd been, had very much been a child when I knew her. The Bella Swan I would see today was, in all likelihood, very different from the girl that she once had been. To my kind she was yet a child, but to the world she lived in she was now a woman. For reasons I could not understand, reasons I assumed had a lot to do with the child in Alice's vision, that particular thought frightened me more than the thought of encountering her blood again.

"How are you, Edward?" _Are you worried? _Esme asked as we navigated the streets.

"Yes," I answered honestly.

"Is it the blood?" she asked gently, and without judgment.

"In part. I shouldn't be doing this."

"We don't have to. I was perhaps wrong to ask this of you." She looked down into her lap at her hands. _I'm sorry, _she thought.

"It's not you, Esme." I paused, needing a moment to be honest with myself. "I want to see her, too. As much as, if not more than you do," I admitted finally.

"Of course you do, sweetheart. I should have realized that and been more sensitive."

"Esme, you could not possibly be more sensitive than you are. It would be quite impossible, I'm sure," I said, and offered her a genuine and affectionate smile.

"Are you going to-"

"Talk to her? No." I interrupted her, as was sometimes a poor habit of mine. "I think we should stay out of sight. I should not take any more unnecessary risks." Esme was already nodding in agreement, but my aching heart threw doubt into my mind and caused me to question my own decision out loud. "Don't you think?"

Esme looked up at me just as we both caught sight of the Volvo sign less than half a mile in front of us. "Perhaps it would be best for now. If you are undecided, then it is better to be safe than sorry."

I winced at the implications of her words. Esme frowned and furrowed her brow at me. _That's not what I meant. You can control yourself, I'm sure of it._

Control was not the issue. I was still a danger to Bella. I would always be a danger to her.

We were less than a block from the dealership and I needed to find a place where Esme might catch a glimpse of Bella without her seeing us. The dealership was located on a fairly small avenue, with very little parking for the businesses other than what was along the street. Normally, I would avoid bringing this particular car into an area like this. I growled lightly at the thought of just sitting in my Aston Martin on the side of the road, making Esme laugh.

"Now, _I _know what _you're_ thinking." She giggled again and then apologized in her thoughts while trying to scope out a better place for us to park than in plain sight on the street.

"Well, we can't very well just pull right up to the door. This street is ridiculous," I complained.

"Oh look, Edward." I saw what she saw at the same time she pointed it out. There was a small alley between the two buildings just across from the Volvo dealership. I tried to keep my thoughts focused on my current task of remaining unseen, rather than the knots of nervous energy that crept through me in waves. The sensation was nearly palpable as I got nearer to the place where I knew Bella would be.

I drove past the dealership then looped around the block until I was driving through the alley. It was a perfect location; as we approached Fifty-Fifth Street we were facing the dealership. Right in front of us sat the small service department lobby of Ravenna Volvo. There were huge glass windows that allowed us to see inside with little obstruction.

"You're sure she's here?" Esme whispered. I could hear the excitement in her thoughts as she scanned the interior for a girl with brown hair. I nodded, thinking back to Bella's message and staring straight ahead.

I wasn't sure what I thought it was going to be like, this moment. I had spent so much energy trying to avoid it that it never occurred to me to prepare myself for seeing her again. As it was upon me, I felt more overwhelmed now than I had even in the first moments of my immortal life. Every one of my senses was taking in the full force of everything around me. I was completely aware of every little detail, to an almost excruciating level. Even Esme's normally calm thoughts seemed to scream out to me. I gripped the steering wheel tighter, holding myself in place.

The girl that had become the focal point of my entire existence, the very one that I had fought hand over fist to stay away from, was so close to me now that I was certain if I just opened the window, I could taste her scent in the air.

While I debated doing that very thing, a pearl white C70 with a flat tire rolled down the street and drove straight into the service department drive. The female driver pulled to the front of the line, bypassing the two cars waiting for service. The driver's thoughts were frantic, worried about some function that she was late for. I had decided to look elsewhere when suddenly she caught site of Bella.

My eyes and Esme's had been so focused on the interior of the lobby, that I hadn't yet registered the movement of brown, almost mahogany hair, under the awning over the service entrance. There, walking around from the back of the building, was Bella.

I stared in shock at how my memory had so inadequately stored her appearance and her beauty. Or was it that she had grown more beautiful with the years?

She was wearing her hair swept up, a wavy pony tail falling over her shoulder and long bangs swept to one side. I hadn't needed to say anything; somehow Esme had recognized that this exquisite young lady in khaki pants and a blue polo shirt was the girl she was waiting to see.

I took in the subtle changes to Bella's appearance and felt relieved that they were not as extreme as I might have imagined. She hardly appeared to have aged a day at all.

There were some tell-tale signs that this was not the case, such as the slightly sharper lines of her face. And even as I tried very hard not to notice, it was obvious that her curves were now those of a woman's body, rather than a girl's. Her hair was longer than it had been and it seemed darker than I remembered. Her beautiful skin was still unusually pale, but a delicate pink just as it should be. Her eyes were the same deep brown, and just the small glimpse I got of her eyes nearly stopped the flow of all conscious thought from my brain.

I took much too great a delight in the fact that her left hand was unadorned by any kind of jewelry other than a simple watch.

"Oh, Edward." Esme reached across and put her small hand over one of mine. Her movement jarred me from my internal rejoicing.

A moment later, I became far more aware of the thoughts of the driver of the pearl white coupe as the woman zoned in on Bella.

_Oh, thank heavens Bella's here. I am so late!_

I gripped the steering wheel harder with one hand before Esme pried it off and allowed me to squeeze her hand instead. Thankfully she was paying attention to me and the fact that I was likely to cause some damage if she didn't stop me. With the other hand I reached down to open the window ever so slightly. I honestly didn't think about it or even know what I was doing. It wasn't like I needed the window opened to hear what was being said across the street.

Was I hoping to catch another hint of Bella's blood? Was I testing myself yet again? Yes, yes I was.

_Edward, _Esme admonished when she noticed what I was about to do. _Careful, son._ She squeezed my hand harder, willing me silently to hold onto her for support.

I waited with baited breath for Bella to look up from the clipboard she carried, hoping I might see her eyes again. When she finally did, they went straight to the female customer approaching her. She smiled, which caused the air to leave my lungs completely, and then she walked confidently over to the woman and her car.

"Mrs. Debary. What are you doing back so soon? Are you having trouble with the car?" Bella held a look of concern, but it was mixed with some other emotion I couldn't quite place. I suddenly wished Jasper were here.

Bella's customer sighed dramatically, "Oh, Bella. I have a flat tire! I'm going to be terribly late for an important philanthropic event this evening and I need a miracle. Can you get a new tire on for me right away, dear?"

Bella stifled a small laugh but straightened her face quickly. "Well, we're no Tire Express, but we can sure try," she said while she considered the tire in front of her. "I'll take it right around." Bella shook her head lightly and smiled kindly at the woman. "You had me worried for a moment. I'm glad it's just a flat."

"Just a flat? Well, I'm glad I can amuse you." She had an inclination to pinch Bella's cheek but decided against it. "You 'll at least hurry, won't you?"

"Of course. I'll come get you in the lounge when it's ready." Bella turned around and led the woman towards the lobby and opened the door for her. The woman had a high opinion of Bella, despite her generally self-absorbed mind. Bella turned back to take the car to get it repaired once the woman had gone inside. As soon as she turned around and her back was to the lobby I saw my Bella smile and roll her eyes.

Esme laughed under her breath. "She's beautiful... and adorable, Edward."

Unable to tear my eyes away from Bella, I used my gift to probe Esme's mind to find the reason behind her statements. Was she actually encouraging me? Indeed, she was.

"Carlisle wouldn't approve," I said, more to myself than my mother. He had openly been against any course of action that would risk Bella's further exposure to our secret. At the time, I'd been grateful for his support.

"Carlisle is not here, is he?" I didn't need to glance over to know that I was getting an arched eyebrow from Esme. As much as she loved, respected, and honored Carlisle, Esme was fiercely independent in her own way.

I sighed and diverted my full attention back to the scene in front of me. Bella knelt down next to the flat tire in front of her and inspected both the tire and rim. From what I could see the tire was completely flat. Bella stood up and then tripped as she attempted to jog towards the service bay. I smiled widely, seeing a glimpse of the uncoordinated girl that I had first met. Esme giggled and thought about how right Alice's description had been.

A moment later Bella returned with a small air compressor. I was undeniably impressed and watched in absolute awe as she filled the tire with air like a pro.

I marveled at how anyone could have ever seen her as plain in the past, Rosalie being at the forefront of that group. Bella was beautiful in every aspect. I even saw beauty in the motions of her body that were less than elegant. She certainly seemed to have a propensity towards missteps, but at this moment she was doing something obviously familiar to her and she handled the task at hand with skill. The fact that she was confident at this particular job, one that had something to do with one of my own hobbies, made it all the more enticing.

Bella stood from her task and then slipped inside Mrs. Debary's C70. The car pulled ahead and around into the service bay, where we could no longer watch her. I listened for thoughts regarding Bella, but nobody in the garage had apparently taken notice of her yet.

Esme turned to me once the car disappeared behind the building. "Thank you, Edward. I feel... I don't know, relieved somehow? Having seen her with my own eyes just helps. Thank you." She seemed to think that we would be leaving now that I'd allowed her to see Bella, but I was quickly becoming quite unsure that I could leave.

"Esme, I am sorry that I took you away from our weekend. We should be in Vancouver right now, not sitting in this alley." I suddenly felt quite ashamed of myself, knowing that I'd really done this for me and not for my mother.

"Nonsense. We're still together and technically the weekend has yet to begin." She smiled up at me. "Anyway, I think we'd both rather be sitting right here than just about anywhere else on earth at this moment."

I sighed and smiled at her, a mix of joy and pain running through me at the honesty of her words, along with the now present nervous energy that coiled in the pit of my stomach.

Bella came into sight at that moment, walking towards the doors to the service lobby. For the briefest moment her eyes glanced up and looked right at me before she opened the doors and slipped inside. I sighed again.

"I can only think of one other place I'd rather be," I whispered. The words came out so low that I wasn't sure they had actually come out at all.

As I sat with Esme, I'd become more successful at filtering the thoughts around me while watching Bella working inside the service department. When her co-workers became more restless and distracted, I remembered that the dealership would be closing soon and Bella would be going home for the night.

She'd been fairly quiet since going inside. She was busy working at her station and typing away on the computer in front of her until a technician brought the pearl white C70 back around to the front. Bella caught it from the corner of her eye and went to retrieve her customer, who thanked her profusely and quickly exited the establishment.

Bella was standing in the doorway about to go back inside when a tall, dark-skinned young man walked up behind her.

"Bella to the rescue again, huh?" he called out to her.

"Seth! You're back!" Bella turned and jumped into his arms while I watched on in horror. Esme muttered an _'oh no_' under her breath and in her thoughts, while I narrowed my eyes, zoning in on the boy's thoughts. I could feel an unfamiliar emotion rearing its ugly head, an emotion I hadn't dealt with in some time.

_Woah! Happy to see me, or what? _The boy, Seth, was laughing and then set Bella down.

"Miss me?" _Of course you did, _he thought.

"Ha, ha. How's your mom? Is she okay?" Bella put her hand on his forearm.

The boy's thoughts caught my attention again and I realized immediately the nature of his relationship with Bella. Not only did he see her only as a sister, but his thoughts were some of the purest I'd come across in years. He loved Bella, and was very protective of her, which made me feel better.

The boy flashed through similarly protective and loving thoughts of his mother in a hospital. It was in one of those memories that I saw Bella's father, Chief Swan, sitting next to Seth's mother, holding her hands in his. It looked as though the mother, Sue, had recently been in a car accident.

"Mom's good. Ready to go home. You're dad is trying to get her to stay with him for a couple of days in Forks so he can help her, but Mom is still set on staying in La Push. She's so stinkin' independent, it's killing Charlie."

Bella laughed at that. "Yeah, I bet. He won't say anything though, he's too easy going for his own good. That's why they still have two houses."

"Uh huh, but they're getting there. In fact, your dad did something pretty funny last night."

"Oh, what was that?" Bella waved him inside and went back to her desk.

"He said he was tired of seeing 'his girls' in the hospital so much. You should have seen Mom's face! He totally called her his 'girl' right in front of me, Leah, Billy and Jake. It was great!" Seth laughed and remembered the shocked look on Sue Clearwater's face at Charlie's slip.

Bella started laughing with him; it was an easy, carefree laugh. I couldn't help but think that it was one of the most beautiful sounds I'd heard in my entire existence.

"Wow. I am sure your mom just loved that."

Seth nodded. "Yeah, but she'll get over it. I think they were even holding hands when I left. Charlie's really pretty great."

"Yes, well I think so," Bella grinned at Seth. "And, Sue's okay? No permanent damage done and she's going home soon?"

"Yeah, she's going home tonight. She sent me back here so I wouldn't miss my exams or be in her hair, but I think it was really because she knows Charlie will be hovering for a few days." Seth cringed to think about what else Charlie would be doing with his mother.

Bella cleared her throat. "I imagine he would be. He was so upset when he called, and of course this had to happen the same week that I had three midterm exams. I'm so glad it worked out that one of us could go." Bella sounded frustrated and remorseful all at the same time.

"Yeah, I would have told my professors where to stick it, but it's your last semester. Finals are in a couple of weeks and we all know that, Bells. You can go home next weekend. They'll be happy to see you then. Don't freak out, 'kay?" Seth rubbed Bella's back lightly and gave her a sideways hug.

"Sure, sure," Bella answered. I couldn't help the odd sense of jealousy that she was hugging someone else, even if he was like a brother. He was getting to touch her, and that caused feelings in me that were strong to say the least.

Seth went to get his paycheck and then returned to where Bella was working. He was waiting until she looked like she was about finished before asking her if she was making dinner tonight. Bella laughed in response and asked him if he wanted to come over, which he knew she would do. Seth was more than thrilled to accept her invitation. He stood there wondering what she was going to cook and practically salivating until Bella told him to go sit down until she finished up and made a phone call.

Seth wandered away and promptly went into the customer lounge where he zoned into the television. I quickly sought out one of Bella's other co-workers to listen through while Bella dialed the phone at her desk.

Within seconds, my phone began to ring.

"Is she... calling _you_? Right now?" Esme asked, surprised.

I looked at the number and confirmed that it was the same one that Bella had called from earlier. It felt as though she would look up and see us sitting here spying on her at any moment. I started the engine and tried to decide what to do.

"Answer it," Esme said.

"What? No," I replied defensively.

"Answer it, Edward. You can see that she's waiting for you to answer the phone so she can go home."

"I-" Before I could respond, Esme's mind shifted from me to Bella's face in an instant.

"Son. She's looking this way." My eyes followed of their own accord. Bella was staring right at us.

"I see that. What I am supposed to do about it?" I asked, as though Esme would know.

I wanted to curse Bella's silent mind, but it was a part of what made her Bella. Had it been anyone else, however, her thoughts would have warned me before she had a chance to spot us.

The phone had stopped buzzing in my hand and I could tell from Bella's expression that she was trying to focus her eyes on my car. There was no way for me to be sure what her eyes could or could not see at that moment; her silent mind striking again.

"I think it's showtime, Edward. I don't think she's noticed us up until now, but if we sit here for long... We should get over there and pretend you were stopping by to pick up the part Emmett ordered. It shouldn't be so difficult if you can hold your breath. Can you manage?" Esme asked, sudden concern for both me and Bella filling her mind.

"Yes, of course. That's not really the point though, although it is something to think about."

"What's the problem then? Edward, she's hanging up the phone. Get your butt over there. You got her message and decided to drop by, that's all. And be nice to her." Esme said, firmly.

I growled lowly at that last statement. Being nice was not a concern. I was going to be lucky if I could avoid being overcome with blood lust and carrying her off into the woods at the first opportunity.

My phone buzzed again as I put the car into gear. It was a text from Alice, about fifteen seconds too late.

_It will be fine. You'll be fine._

_Tuesday is best._

_The sun shouldn't be a problem,_

_but get the last appointment of the day anyway._

_A._

I rolled my eyes. Of course, she would have commentary and directions for me now that my hand had been forced. I had a feeling that Alice waited to send that text for an extra fifteen seconds on purpose this time.

I pulled across the street and under the awning in front of the service department. I stopped the car and discovered that Bella's head was down and her hair had fallen over her shoulder like a curtain covering her face. If it hadn't been pulled back into a pony tail I would have missed the fact that she was chewing on her lip so harshly that it had turned white where her teeth pressed down. Her eyes darted up and then back down again.

I noticed with some regret, that the car had garnered the attention of nearly every mind in the lobby at that moment. So much for an ideal setting. If she would even talk to me, all eyes would be on Bella and I for the duration of the conversation, something I thought that neither of us would be very comfortable with. We'd been strong-armed into a very public reunion, and one that I had no way of knowing Bella ever wanted in the first place. It was quite likely she hated me, or at the very least had a low opinion of my prior behavior in Forks.

The idea of forcing her into an awkward situation at her place of employment now seemed unacceptable at best, ungentlemanly at the very least. I considered just driving on through and leaving Bella with her dignity and job in place, but my chest ached with the pain of imminent loss. There was also an odd pang of some new sensation resonating through me at the mere thought of not showing myself to Bella. It was as though my heart was trying to tell my head what it could not comprehend; leaving now would be a cowardly and unkind thing to do to the girl. Leaving her standing here now would make me cruel, and the strong sense that I would be hurting her in the process was enough to stop me in my tracks.

If she was going to reject me, it was her choice to make. If she was going to forgive me, then that was her choice too, and I had no right to take it from her.

I took several deep, cleansing breaths. I was nervous, and more than a little terrified of the outcome of this turn of events. It was ridiculous that I was employing what were essentially yoga techniques, when my body needed no oxygen at all, but I imagined that there was something physiological about breathing steadily that affected a human's ability to calm themselves. I hypothesized it was some sort of dormant leftover instinct that drove me to mimic this behavior now.

I needed to find a steady level of calm and control, or I could kill Bella. Yet, as I moved to exit the car and face her, causing her harm was no longer my only fear. I knew now that the only fear that came even close to eclipsing my concern for her safety, was the idea that she could reject me and banish me from her life forever. I was almost more afraid that Bella would chose to send me back into exile of her own accord, than I was fearful of harming her by my own hand.

Suddenly, it was so clear to me. My existence was no longer my own. My fate rested entirely on the brown eyed beauty who now looked out through the windows separating us, appearing as though she had seen a ghost.

_She just went completely ashen. Can she see us? Does she recognize him? _Esme's thoughts ran unedited as she called my name, having noticed Bella's demeanor.

"Edward?"

"The windshield. She can see through the windshield," I explained as understanding dawned on me.

Bella had seen me. Bella had seen me and she looked terrified.

Bella's manager, a man called Jerry, came out the door with a wide smile as I stepped out of the car.

"Hello there, sir. What can we do for today? Please tell me you are not trading that fine machine in for one of our little clunkers?" he joked.

"No, sir. I am actually here to speak with Bella Swan. My brother ordered a part for our new S60. She just tried to call, is she still here?" I asked, feigning ignorance of her presence.

"Yes, Bella's inside. Although our parts department is across the street and normally they would be the ones to help you with that. If you hurry on over, you should be able to get there before they shut the register down for the night." He pointed behind him to the Parts department.

I smiled politely and thanked him for the information. My eyes went behind him and I watched Bella as I told her boss that I was asked to see her specifically about the matter. Bella's eyes shot up and locked on mine at the mention of her name.

It was as though the world fell away, leaving only her behind. Every sight, sound, thought, and scent ceased to exist as I re-connected with my heart's home on the other side of the glass. There was only silence and Bella.

I blinked and a small smile crept across my face. Bella answered it with a half of a smile that threatened to take over, but never quite did.

I became aware of the world around me again with almost deafening intensity and realized that both Jerry and Esme were watching this silent exchange between my love and I.

"Sir?" Jerry said, I think for the third time, clearing his throat loudly. He looked back and forth between his star employee and the slightly unnerving kid with movie star looks, and grunted.

_Figures... I knew Bella couldn't stay oblivious to men forever. It has got to be the car. Girl's a car whore. God, I hope she doesn't do anything stupid._

I snarled and shot a murderous look at Jerry, taking two steps towards him. How dare he! I wanted to tear the man apart slowly for insinuating anything derogatory about Bella's character.

I heard Esme calling to me through her thoughts, and at the same time caught a flurry of movement out of the corner of my eye.

Bella darted around her desk and knocked over a clipboard and a container of pens in the process. She reached the door in four long strides and threw it open, her eyes flashing with concern and surprise.

"Jerry! I've got this one." Bella's voice rang out loudly, as she stood slightly breathless and unsteady, holding the door open behind her. She looked to be putting on quite a mask of strength and determination, but I could hear her heart hammering in her chest and noticed the slight appearance of sweat on her brow. Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing accelerated.

I realized then that my original assessment of her reaction to seeing me was correct; she was afraid of me.

Jerry turned around, confused by Bella's sudden appearance. "Oh hey, Bella. I think... maybe... I'll take care of Mister..." Jerry paused, asking for my name.

"Cullen," Bella answered for me. "Edward Cullen." There was a slight smile on her face when she said my name, but then shook her head quickly, clearing her face of any emotion. The whole thing was so fast, I doubted Jerry would have noticed it but it confused the life out of me.

Bella moved to stand next to Jerry, her heart still pounding rapidly, but her face giving away very little other than a slight blush. She stuck her hand out to shake mine.

"How are you Mr. Cullen?"

I stared dumbly at her rosy cheeks, taking a moment at vampire speed to enjoy the sight before meeting her eyes. I was honestly petrified of what I might see in her expression. Something told me that I wasn't going to like it at all.

I closed my eyes briefly, too quickly to be noticed, and when I opened them I was staring at a set of hard, cold, and yet defiant eyes. I stared for a moment, remembering how she'd looked at me that way once before; the day I'd broken her trust by refusing to explain how I'd saved her from Tyler Crowley's van. She obviously hadn't forgotten.

"I'm well, Miss Swan. How are you?" Finally answering her and extending my hand to hers, trying to keep my mask in place and maintain appearances.

When out skin met it felt like I'd been set on fire and Bella dropped my hand gasping. I was worried that I'd hurt her, but she pulled her fingertips to her mouth, and flexed her hand without difficulty. I wondered if she felt the same odd sensation running from her fingers through her arm and to the rest of her. It was odd, but far from unpleasant.

"I'm g... I'm good. Thank you," she answered, with a hint of a tremor in her voice. She swallowed loudly and then turned to Jerry. "The Cullens are old family friends. If you don't mind, I already have the part ordered and the paperwork ready."

"Bella... I think maybe this time, you should-"

"NO. I mean... No, thank you, Jerry. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but it's really not necessary. Just give me a moment, would you?"

I could tell from the man's thoughts that he knew this was Bella's final answer. Her tone told him she wasn't going to budge on handing over this customer. He thought it strange that she was behaving this way, noting how un-Bella like it really was. He'd only ever seen her talk to a few people in this manner, and never anyone in a position of authority over her.

He nodded slowly, hesitantly agreeing to her demands.

"Alright Bella, he's all yours." Jerry said, not knowing that there had never been a truer statement uttered in all of the English language.

I was entirely hers. Even if she didn't want me. The thought left me reeling, she could never possibly want me. What was I doing here?

As soon as Jerry was inside the lobby, Bella's smile fell, confirming my thoughts. She was struggling just to maintain a neutral expression.

"Bella, I..." I didn't know what to say. I really just wanted to crush her to me and never let go, but I knew she'd never understand that. And, I would quite literally crush her. Being so near to her, and yet so far away was an awful feeling.

"E... Edward," she choked out, the sound barely above a whisper. When I looked at her, her eyes brimmed with moisture and the coldness that had been there was replaced with fear.

Was she really so terrified of me? Did I deserve any better? Still, I wracked my brain trying to determine what could have happened since our last encounter to incite this kind of reaction to my sudden reappearance.

She looked at the ground and I nearly growled with the frustration of having her eyes hidden from me.

I finally decided to try Esme's advice and be nice to her, soothe her.

"It's very good to see you again. You look well." I used my most charming tone of voice with her, dropping the timbre slightly lower than was necessary. I hoped she wouldn't think I was being coy when I was going for gentle. "I got the message you left for Emmett today."

Bella's looked up, her eyes wide.

"Don't worry, he explained everything. I understand that I need to pick up a part from you?" I said, realizing that I was going to be out of air for speaking soon. I would have to take a breath and Bella's scent would likely pummel my senses in the process. However, Bella standing in front of me was a vision that had me distracted enough not to care. I gazed into her eyes a moment longer, trying to read the emotions or lack of emotions I saw there. She didn't seem afraid anymore, at least.

The silence continued, and I noticed that Bella's breathing and pulse started to pick up slightly. She blinked furiously and cleared her throat.

"Um, I tried to call. I had some news about the part Emmett ordered, but I guess I should just talk to you now that you're here," she said and then looked down at the ground.

"Yes, that would be easiest. What's the situation?" I asked with the last of the air in my lungs.

"I just wasn't... I wasn't expecting to see you. I thought Emmett... and I called, but then... and now you..." Bella seemed as though she might hyperventilate and I knew that if I was going to calm her I was going to have to talk. If I had to talk I had to have more air.

I turned my head to the side and leaned away as much as I could without anyone noticing my strange behavior. I inhaled, causing the sensation of fire and flames to shoot down my throat. I clenched my fists and bit down on my tongue, hard.

Even while I was fighting the pull of Bella's fresh blood, still the most intoxicating fragrance I'd ever known, Bella stammered on.

"He asked me to call him and you... now you... you're here," she said pointing at the ground in front of her.

My head cleared some while she spoke to me, her words barely making sense. I blinked at her until my brain caught up with the rest of me and I could respond to her.

"Yes. I'm here."

"You're back?" she asked, looking into my eyes, questioning and searching.

I smiled despite myself, and despite the copious amounts of venom that I was still dealing with in response to her scent. I stepped forward, closing the distance between Bella and myself. Just feet away from her, I confirmed what she seemed oddly desperate to know.

"I'm back."

* * *

_Well... what will Bella do now?_

_As Edward has absolutely no idea, the next chapter will be Bella's POV._

_See you next week! Please, please leave a review and let me know how your enjoying the story. Or not... _

_Hugs, Ginnie  
_


	6. Chapter 5: Ghosts of the Past

**The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, July 2010.**

**A/N:**

_I've had quite a few people tell me how much they cared for the older, more car savvy Bella. So... because you love her, I thought I would let her tell you about her day. ;-) _

_Thank you to the handful of faithful reviewers out there, as well as to my pre-readers and my beta. I couldn't have gotten this far without all of you.  
_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 5:**

"**Ghosts of the Past"**

"Service, this is Bella."

I answered the first phone call of the day with a smile on my face. I'd had a pretty good night's sleep for a change. Along with a Starbucks latte and danish on Jess, it made for a nice start to this last day of work before the upcoming long weekend.

"Hi. Is this Isabella Swan?"

_Isabella Swan? _I got nervous at the mention of my given name. Nobody who knew me called me Isabella and we didn't use last names at work. My thoughts immediately went to Sue who'd been in the hospital, then to either of my parents, and even to my roommate who had been lifting heavy boxes when I left for work.

"Yes, this is Bella. May I ask who is calling?" I heard my words crack a little.

"Yeah, of course. My name is Emmett Cullen. You probably don't remember me, but we went to high school together in Forks."

My first feeling was one of relief that it wasn't a hospital, or worse. Then I realized who the caller was.

_Ohmygod._

His voice sounded slightly unsure. "Of course, you wouldn't remember me but I-"

"I remember you," I blurted out. "You graduated the year before me. Your whole family moved away like the next day or something."

It was quiet a moment on his end before he responded. "Yeah, that's right. Good. Good, I'm glad you remember. I, uh... I thought maybe you'd forget."

I huffed, and very nearly snorted at the idea.

Had he forgotten that his brother saved me from being pinned beneath a careening van? Surely he remembered the day that his sister Alice pushed him out of the way to keep me from falling on my face in the cafeteria. He and his girlfriend didn't look too happy. Of course, I hadn't been too happy either. That was the same day that I learned that Edward's latest absence from school was permanent.

"Bella?" His voice broke me from my thoughts.

"No, I didn't forget," I answered.

"Oh, that's good. That's really good. So... how have you been?"

My mouth dropped open a little in disbelief. Emmett Cullen had never spoken a word to me, to anyone that I could think of, in high school. Now he wanted to make small talk?

"Good, I guess. School, work, the usual for a college kid. Is there something I can do for you, Emmett?"

He laughed nervously. "Yeah, there is. I hope anyway. You see... I need a favor."

"Oh? What kind of favor?"

"Well, I seem to have broken my brother's car. He just got it a little over a week ago, and I'm pretty sure he'll flip out when he sees it. I think it would be better if I took care of getting it fixed before then. Would you be able to order a part for me and give me a call as soon as it gets in? I'd be willing to pay extra for you to handle this personally, you know... be discreet and all?"

_His brother's car? _

_His brother. _

_ Oh... No way. No, not possible._

"Hello?"

"Umm... I guess I could do that. I... I think it would be best if you brought the car in so our guys can take a look at it, because if there's body damage we can't repair that here. We can refer you to a body shop however. They come very highly recommended and I think they work pretty fast."

"No, no, no. That's not necessary, Bella. I just tore the fuel door cover off and I need a new hinge assembly for it."

"You just tore it off, huh? Did you forget to check your superhuman strength at the door?" I giggled at my own joke. After a moment I realized that Emmett was completely silent, so I thought that I better let him off the hook. "It was a joke, Emmett."

"Oh. Right."

I sighed. "Listen. Don't tell my boss this please, and I'll get the part for you if you want, but... As a friend,or whatever, I'll tell you that you could probably order the part that you need off of the internet and have it delivered overnight. That is if you don't want anybody to find out about this. The shipping may cost you more than the part, but-"

"That's really nice, Bella. I appreciate the advice, but I'd rather go through you. I'll just pick up the part and fix it back here. Can you help me out? Be discreet and all?"

I sighed quietly. "Of course. I'll just need the year and model of the car to get the right part. We may already have it in stock."

"Sure, thanks. It's a 2011 S60. You may have seen it last week, Edward had it brought over from Europe."

_Oh. My. God. It was his car. _

"Bella?"

"I'm here."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. I just didn't realize. I didn't look at the name on the car when it came in."

_That, and... I'm having a heart attack because I was in his car. Edward Cullen's new car._

"Oh, okay. You can get the part though, right?" Emmett asked lightly, like he hadn't noticed my slight freak out. I cleared my throat and focused on doing my job. I was good at my job, I could do this.

"Yeah, sure. I can do that. Do you have a number where I can reach you?"

"Yes, I do. My number is (425) 555-0080. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it. Let me see if we have the part in stock, and I'll call you back. Oh, I guess since this is a secret, I should ask you whether you want me to leave a message if you don't answer."

"Yeah, that's great, leave a message. And feel free to call anytime day or night, okay?"

"Okay, Emmett. We should be able to get this taken care of for you pretty quick."

"Thank you, Bella. You're a lifesaver, really."

"No problem."

"Well, I guess I'll talk to you soon then."

"Sure, sure. Oh, and one thing real quick?"

"Yeah?"

I sighed. "I don't think your brother liked me very much in high school. In fact, I'm certain of it. I'm not sure what I did, but it would probably be best if he didn't know we were in cahoots together. I just don't want to make it worse for you if he finds out. So, can you handle that? You know... be discreet and all?" I parroted his words from earlier.

"Bella..."

"What?"

"It's nothing, never mind. I promise I won't tell Edward that we were in 'cahoots'. No cahoots here, alright? I'm just some guy who randomly called up and ordered this part and gave you a number to call when it came in. Okay? You're just doing your job. Sound good?"

I laughed at his sarcasm. "Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Random Guy. I'll call you soon." I sighed and smiled to myself. Emmett seemed like he was probably a good guy, but maybe that was just becasue I was partial to overly tall and well-muscled jokesters.

"Thank you, Miss Service Adviser. You take care of yourself. Don't fall in front of any vans, okay?"

I laughed, despite that memory being somewhat of a sore spot for me. Emmett laughed too, and just the sound of it made tears start pricking my eyes. I blinked them back and forced a goodbye.

"Goodbye, Emmett."

"Bye, Bella."

I hung up the phone and made a controlled but hurried dash for the bathroom. Hiding in the corner stall, I sat on the closed lid of the toilet and thought about what had just happened.

I was slightly shocked, no- completely shocked, to hear from one of the Cullens. Up until two weeks ago, I'd started to wonder if they'd ever existed to begin with. I knew somewhere in the corner of my mind that I hadn't imagined them, but the memories were fading and the dreams had made it all seem so unreal.

It had been five years since my whole world had been turned on end by moving to Forks. Five years of dreams and nightmares that made little sense. I'd been relieved that I hadn't had a single dream of him, or of the others, in months. I was finally starting to think that I had somehow cured myself of that particular affliction. I'd grown tired of it, tired of what it meant, tired of remembering.

My head hurt just thinking about the dreams that had resurfaced in the last two weeks. They could make me scream, or smile, or cry, just depending on the day. I guess today was a day to cry.

At barely eight in the morning the first phone call of the day had already reduced me to tears. Just lovely.

I could hear business picking up out in the lobby and I knew that several people had already dropped their vehicles off. I needed to get out there or Jerry would be ticked off. I took a few seconds to put myself back together, wiping my pink nose and dabbing the smudges out from under my eyes. After washing my hands I returned to my station in the lobby.

Eight people were waiting. Jerry glared at me when I walked towards him, but when he caught sight of the strange look on my face, he softened and gave me a small smile. I smiled back at him and got straight to work. I figured I had about two hours, or until the morning rush was over, until I would have to explain what was with my Houdini act.

I never disappeared from my post without telling someone, and I never cried. Never. A few of the guys once told me that I wasn't a real girl because I knew a little about cars and I didn't cry. A fact they discovered when, as a result of my epic clumsiness, I had my foot run over in the service bay my first year working here. It had been my fault entirely, and at the time, there was no way I was going to cry like a girl when I'd already made fool of myself in front of everyone.

The morning wore on and I avoided talking to Jerry by heading over to the parts department to see about the hinge Emmett Cullen needed. I spent a few minutes chatting with the new parts guy after he found the part I was after, and before I had to go back to deal with the rest of my day. To say I wasn't looking forward to it would have been an understatement.

I got back to my station to find that there were two cars ready to be checked out and new arrival to greet. When I eventually found a free moment, I got to the task of invoicing the part for Emmett. I hadn't gotten any customer information from him this morning due to shock and a complete breakdown in higher brain function when he called. Unfortunately for me now, I would need more than a name in order to fill out the invoice.

I sighed loudly and tapped my pen against my desk while I thought about what to do. I knew the dealership had taken delivery on his brother's car when it arrived from Sweden just two weeks ago. They would have automatically entered an owner profile into the computer system at that time so I could get everything I needed from there.

Just as I was about to click on the name "Cullen, Edward A." on the screen in front of me, a man's voice came from behind me.

"What'cha doing?"

"AH!" I yelped, jumped and turned around to find Embry standing right behind me. I swore under my breath and playfully pushed him back. "You scared me, you big oaf!"

He was laughing and holding his hands up in mock surrender as I swatted at him.

"I'm sorry, Bells. You're too easy to scare," he chuckled.

"No. You're inhumanly quiet, and _I _was focusing on my job, which is what you should probably be doing," I said casually, turning around to close the browser window on my computer.

"You wanna have lunch?" Embry asked now leaning over my shoulder again.

I turned back around. "I can't, Em. I have to work straight through so I can have tomorrow off. Sorry."

"That's okay. Dinner tonight?"

"Um, yeah, I think so. I'll check with Jess, she may want to go out. I'll call you when I get home, okay?"

"Sounds good. I'm cutting out a little early tonight just so you know. Gotta run to the bank. See ya tonight." Embry pulled playfully on my pony tail and winked as he left to go back to the garage.

"See you, Em."

Predictable as always, Jerry sauntered up to my station when Embry had gone.

"I'm telling you Bella, that boy is sweet on you."

"No he's not, Jerry. We've been through this, he's like my brother." I rolled my eyes and went back to working on the Cullen invoice.

"Well if that's the case, then I'm notifying the authorities. Because incest is a crime," Jerry said, as he leaned on my desk looking smug.

"Jerry! First of all that's disgusting and second, it's highly inappropriate," I said, irritated with him.

"Look, I'm just tellin' you what I see. He's sweet on you."

"And look, I'm just tellin' you for the five hundredth time, that it's not like that! Honestly, Jerry. If I explain this to you, will you please stop mentioning it every time that poor boy walks in here?" I asked, now exasperated by my boss. I could probably file some kind of sexual harassment complaint for his regular questions about who I'm not dating.

"I'm all ears," Jerry said, smiling.

"Of course you are," I rolled my eyes. I took a deep breath and told Jerry what I hoped would get him to back off. "Listen... Embry and his best friend saved my life. Like literally, as in they swooped in and saved me from certain death. It was a pretty close call." Jerry's eyes widened and I could almost see the questions forming in his mind.

"It was years ago, we were all really young at the time. We've been very close ever since, and Embry feels like it's his job to keep an eye on me now. Just like a big brother would. Except that he's three years younger than I am. Anyway, we're family." I looked down when I finished talking.

How many more ghosts of my past would come back to haunt me today?

"Wow, Bella. I had no idea. What happened to you?"

"I don't talk about it anymore. No offense towards you, but it was a long time ago and I've put it behind me."

"Alright. I get that. I'm sorry for prying," he said, though I doubted that he really was.

"That's okay, I brought it up. But do you see why I haven't said anything before now?" I looked at him and gave him a small, shy smile.

He knew I didn't like being the center of attention and stories like what happened to Embry, Jake and I tended to draw attention; even if it was only the public version.

"Sure." He nodded and looked down at my desk. "Who's this for?" he asked, pointing to the fuel door hinge and trying to change the subject.

"Uh... A guy called in this morning asking for a replacement for the hinge for his fuel door cover. Apparently he managed to rip it off," I said casually.

"Did he clip it at the gas station or something?"

"No, I think he just opened it too hard, or too far," I said, smiling to myself. "Anyway, it bent and when he tried to bend it back and the hinge broke."

"Bella, that sounds like a warranty claim. Those things are not supposed to just bend and break. Unless he had a collision or abused it in some other way, that shouldn't be able to happen. Did you have someone take a look at it?"

"No. I spoke to him over the phone. I did tell him we could take a look at it, but he declined," I answered honestly.

"See if you can get him to bring it in. That sounds fishy, but if he's telling the truth then Volvo needs to replace it. Give him a call," Jerry said, patting my shoulder and going back to his desk.

He turned halfway there and called back. "Oh, and Bella? What was your deal this morning?"

I pursed my lips and sighed. "It was nothing. Girl stuff," I lied before he took his leave, looking properly chagrinned.

An hour later, I was still debating whether or not to try to get Emmett to bring in the car. I couldn't see why he would. Emmett didn't want his brother to find out about the damage.

But Jerry wanted me to do my job. Part of my job was to get people to service their vehicles with us as opposed to somewhere else, so I really did need to call and at least offer to do the service here.

"Arrr.." I growled in frustration. I couldn't believe that I was being so ridiculous, by letting the situation cause me to come unglued. This was my job and I needed to make the call.

It wasn't like I was calling _him._

I picked up the part and tossed it back down again. Grabbing the phone, I was dialing before I knew what I was going to say exactly. It rang while I tried to decide whether or not to use Emmett's name or be covert about this; just Ms. Service Adviser informing Mr. Random Guy about a part.

After the third ring, the call went to voice mail. There was no greeting, just the default voice mail announcement.

_ "Please leave a message for four-two-five, five-five-five, zero-zero-eight-zero." _

I still wasn't sure what to say exactly when the tone beeped, so I decided to go for vague.

"Uh...Hi. This message is for Mr. Cullen. This is Bella Swan getting back to you about the part you ordered. I needed to discuss that with you further. You can reach me here until five-thirty this evening. The number is (206) 555-3815. Um... I'm off the rest of the weekend so if you don't get this today, I won't be in until Tuesday morning. I hope to hear from you before then. Thank you."

I hung up and stared at the phone for a long minute.

"You okay, baby girl?" Jerry called from where he stood in the doorway of his office.

I nodded and gave him a quick thumbs up and a fake smile. I'd be okay when this whole thing was resolved.

Fortunately, the rest of the day passed with little incident. I'd been fairly distracted since that first phone call, and was thankful when I looked up and realized it was almost five o'clock. Only thirty minutes until this day would be done and I could go home and forget about it. Well, try to forget about it.

One of the mechanics called me with about five minutes left in the day to let me know there was a problem with the car he was working on. Unfortunately, it had just come in for routine maintenance so this was an unexpected issue. I went around back to get the rundown on the owner's options and it was obvious I was going to have to call them with some bad news about an expensive repair. I hated that part of my job.

I walked around the outside of the building to go back inside and saw a familiar looking C70 coupe under the awning. A flustered woman was getting out of the car in a hurry.

"Mrs. Debary. What are you doing back so soon? Are you having car trouble?" I asked, concerned that she had just been here a few weeks ago.

"Oh, Bella. I have a flat tire! I'm going to be terribly late for an important philanthropic event this evening and I need a miracle. Can you get a new tire on for me right away, dear?" Mrs. Debary looked like she was about to cry; a stark change from the confident woman who scowled and belittled me when we'd first met.

"Well, we're no Tire Express, but we can sure try," I said looking at the tire in front of me. "I'll take it right around. You had me worried for a moment, I'm glad it's just a flat."

"Just a flat?" She said, noticing my indulgent expression. "Well, I'm glad I can amuse you. You'll at least hurry won't you?" she asked, looking at her watch.

"Of course. I'll come get you in the lounge when it's ready," I said, sending her inside and getting straight to the tire. In all honesty, I was perhaps a little unusually willing to help her out. I would be lying if I said it had nothing to do with the fact that she'd been behind me being the one that had gotten to drive Edward Cullen's custom S60.

Once Mrs. Debary's C70 was ready to go with two new tires on it and got the frantic woman off to her banquet, I was nearly done for the day. I was about to go inside and finish up when a deep voice caused me to pause.

"Bella to the rescue again?"

I spun around and half-squealed. "Seth! You're back!"

I jumped up to give him a hug, feeling largely relieved to see him. He wouldn't have come back today if things in Forks were worse than Charlie let on.

"Miss me?" he asked. His voice was sarcastic.

"Ha ha," I said, pulling away. "How's your mom? Is she okay?"

"Mom's good. Ready to go home. Your dad is trying to get her to stay with him for a couple of days in Forks so he can help her, but Mom is still set on staying in La Push. She's so stinkin' independent, it's killing Charlie," he answered.

I laughed. He had no idea. My father was head over heels for that woman, but she was beyond stubborn about staying in La Push. Charlie couldn't understand why, but now that Seth was off to college he was hoping things would change. He was too much like me to just come out and tell her how he felt, but when he'd gotten the news that Sue had been in a bad car accident, I knew he wouldn't hold off much longer.

Seth and I talked a little longer before he followed me inside so I could finish work and he could get his paycheck.

After taking care of paperwork, I made phone calls. Well, there was only one phone call to make. Emmett had never called back and I needed to know what to do with this part.

I noticed a black car sitting in the alley across the street while I was leaving a message on his voice mail again. When I looked up a second time I saw something that made my eyes widen quite a bit.

Fixed on the front of the shiny black hood, right above the straight-line chrome grill, was a small emblem in the shape of aviator's wings.

_No way. _

An Aston Martin was sitting in an alley off of Fifty-Fifth Street. And not just any Aston Martin, but a Vanquish. I recognized it from my days in the garage in La Push and one particularly rainy day when the guys decided to give me a proper education on all things James Bond, but especially the cars.

I hung up the phone and told Jerry to turn around. When I looked back up the car had moved and was driving straight towards us. I knew then that it was a very good thing it was the end of the day. Every gear head on the block was going to want to see that beauty.

"No way! Did you see this, Bella?" I rolled my eyes and laughed at Jerry's squeaky voice.

"Yeah, I saw it." I laughed.

"Suppose he's lost?" Jerry asked me, stepping around his desk.

"I don't know. Why don't you go find out?" I said, indulgently.

"I think I will." With a grin, Jerry walked outside.

I looked up again at the shiny black luxury car, noticing only now that I really liked the way it looked. A lot, actually. There was something about it. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

When I turned my head to get a better view of it, I thought for a brief moment that I'd fallen asleep at my desk. That was the only explanation. The rushing sound of my pulse raging in my ears alerted me to the fact that I was still conscious. However, if I didn't breathe soon I wouldn't be for much longer. I tried to inhale but for a moment I thought I wouldn't be able to. It seemed as though all of the oxygen had been sucked from the room as my heart began running a marathon inside my chest.

_This isn't really happening. It can't be..._

I was nearly dumbstruck and staring unabashedly at Edward Cullen.

He was still nearly impossible to describe, and entirely impossible to miss. Those gold toned eyes and his hair; the breathtaking beauty of his face and the tortured expression.

Looking at him for the first time in so many years, I realized just how little justice my memory did to him.

I couldn't even be sure how long I sat there captured by the sight before me, but I felt it the moment Edward's eyes finally left my face. There was a tangible sense of loss, not like anything I'd felt since I'd first learned that he left Forks five years ago.

I started to panic, given that thought. How could I possibly still be this affected by him?

I had no idea what he was doing here. Well, that wasn't true. I did, but given the nature of his brother's phone call to me this morning, I never expected to see him here. I never really expected to see him again. Hoped, perhaps. I'd somehow hoped that maybe someday... but never now. Never here.

His being here at this moment didn't make any sense at all. Not to mention that it was probably very dangerous, and all just a little too convenient to be a coincidence.

Edward, oblivious to my internal panic attack, got out of the car as Jerry approached him. I looked down, too stunned to move, but wanting more than anything to get out there and talk to him before he could disappear again.

It would be nice if he would just spontaneously explain himself to me, but as I was sure that would never happen, I decided that a good back-up plan would be to say something witty, or yell at him. Or maybe just play dumb and pretend that I had no idea who he was.

At the moment, I felt pretty willing to do just about anything if I could just get him to speak to me. It was slightly pathetic.

I knew that my desires had a lot to do with the fact that he still owed me an explanation for a few things. Not the least of which, was the fact that he'd refused to ever speak to me again after promising me that he would. He never had explained how he managed to save my life. It was also possible that part of what bothered me was how I couldn't even remember his voice anymore.

In the occasional dream where he spoke, his voice was pained and weak. It was all wrong, not anything like the melodic sound it should have been. The voice in my dreams was a poor substitute of the real thing, twisted by nightmares and my mind's pathetic attempt to hold on to something I'd become fixated upon.

Unfortunately, I actually knew a few things about Edward Cullen and could assume that if he didn't want to see or talk to me, there was nothing I could do about it. It wasn't like I could chase him down and force him to talk.

I felt so transparent all of a sudden, like he would be able to tell what I was thinking. Part of me was certain that I could feel him watching me through the glass, and with a quick glance up, I saw that he was.

He openly smiled at me and a huge part of me wanted so much to smile back. I wanted to feel relieved that he was here. His smile made my heart want to take flight and allowed me to momentarily forgot the horrible way he had treated me once upon a time in Forks. He kind of took my breath away all over again.

For about five seconds. Then the spell was broken and the Edward I remembered came back, proceeding to move towards Jerry in an aggressive manner. His eyes flashed with anger and his face darkened into a scowl, taking me back five years and four months to my very first day in Mr. Banner's biology class.

I jumped up and flew across the room, having no idea what in the world would possess Edward Cullen to threaten my service manager, but I swore that I saw his teeth bared just before I threw the door open.

"Jerry!" I yelled, my voice cracking as I tried to intercede. If Edward was going to go all feral on anyone, it was going to be me. I'd been through it before. I knew I could handle it and I certainly wasn't about to let anyone else go through that.

"I got this one," I said, with slightly more calm in my voice. I put on my strongest face, the determined one I used when I needed to stand up for myself and run with the big dogs. It didn't think it would work, but I had to try.

"Oh hey, Bella," Jerry answered, his surprised and confused eyes flashing over at my sudden appearance. He smiled uncomfortably, "I think... maybe.. I'll take care of Mister-"

"Cullen," I answered for him. "Edward Cullen." Of course I had to say his name just like he was James Bond or something. I guess Edward was a little like an international man of mystery. Hell, he even had the Bond car to go with it. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I smiled lightly at the thought, before putting my head back on straight and trying to extricate Jerry from Edward's presence.

I walked over to them and tried to behave just as though this were any other customer. Well, any customer whose name I knew by heart. I realized that I was going to have to explain that one to Jerry sooner or later.

"How are you Mr. Cullen?" I asked, sticking my hand out to shake Edward's. Would he take it? Would he bite it off? I seriously wanted to ask him what his problem was, yet again, but he just stood there looking at me with a peculiar expression.

Until he answered my greeting and accepted my outstretched hand.

Edward pulled away like I'd set him on fire and I in turn jerked my hand to my lips. I breathlessly wondered at the sensation I'd felt and his reaction. I had to fight really hard for my body not to betray just how much the touch of his cool hand impacted me, or how the sound of his melodic voice shook me to my core. It was quite odd that at the same time I felt so comforted by his touch.

It took me a few breaths to realize that he'd asked me a question and was waiting for an answer.

"I'm g... I'm good. Thank you," I answered, my voice most likely betraying my conflicted emotions and thoughts. I did remember that Jerry was standing there and looked at him, orchestrating an excuse. "The Cullens are old family friends. If you don't mind, I already have their parts ordered and paperwork ready."

I'd tried to be convincing, but Jerry was hesitant. He began to argue with me, so I had to put my foot down and insist that he allow me to take care of Mr. Cullen.

Once Jerry was inside the lobby I turned my attention back to Edward who was staring at me again. His face was smooth and polite, but I could tell something else was hidden beneath and I didn't trust it.

"Bella, I…" He sounded surprisingly unsure and tender, affectionate even. He looked utterly lost when his eyes shot down and his words failed.

It was all too much. His face, his voice, the longing I thought I heard there. It was weird and just... too much.

"E... Edward." I murmured his name, but couldn't find any other words.

What was I supposed to say anyway? I only knew that I didn't want him looking the way that he did, or sounding like he cared. I could deal with an angry, volatile, and secretive Edward better than I could this new version of him standing before me. His eyes met mine and I blinked back tears of confusion and overwhelming emotion. I had to look away.

Edward's voice reached my ears as gentle as I'd ever heard it, soothing. "It's very good to see you again. You look well."

I was shocked by the sincerity in his tone. It confused me, thinking that he was just going to sweep the proverbial elephant under the rug and pretend like he didn't just try to attack my boss. Or that he didn't act like a complete ass five years ago.

"Don't worry, my brother explained everything. I understand that I need to pick up a part from you?"

His smooth voice somehow seemed to both relax me and bring me back to reality all at once. I met his eyes and it was almost as though I was seeing him for the first time all over again.

This time, I gazed on him with knowledge born out of experience, now void of the kind of innocence that I possessed five years ago. Despite the dream-like quality of my mind under the influence of Edward, it occurred to me to wonder why he was here and what was really going on. Somehow a broken fuel door hinge seemed highly unlikely; about as unlikely as his brother giving me the wrong phone number.

"Um," I paused, having to force my brain to function. "I tried to call. I had some news about the part Emmett ordered, but I guess I could just talk to you now."

"That would be easiest. What's the situation?" he asked.

What was the situation? In the time it took to ask that of myself, the full reality of the situation hit me like a hammer.

There were so many different and conflicting feelings coursing through me. Shame, anger. Relief, joy. Pain, fear, longing. There was honestly no way for one human being to handle all of that at one time. Memories merged with dreams in my mind and none of them helped me to make sense of this situation. I couldn't breathe again all of sudden and, in an apparent attempt to avoid hyperventilating, I started rambling.

"I just wasn't... I wasn't expecting to see you. I thought Emmett... and I called, but then... and now you..." I pointed to him like an idiot and continued.

"He asked me to call him and you... Now you... you're here," I concluded.

"Yes. I'm here."

"You're back?"

I looked up into his eyes; questioning what that meant and how I should feel about it.

Edward stepped towards me, the air between us charging with intensity.

"I'm back," he answered.

He lifted one hand towards me and I froze in place as his fingers grew nearer. The back of his hand hovered over my cheek for a split second and my eyes fluttered closed. I held my breath anticipating the contact, but it never came.

"Bella, I won't hurt you." Edward's voice sounded farther away and I was confused by his words.

_ Hurt me?_ I hadn't thought he would, but if I was being entirely honest, it was a little too late for that. My eyes snapped open, tears pooling against my will. Again. It made me so angry and frustrated, all inside of a moment. I never cried, well hardly ever. Yet, for the second time today I was crying. Because of Edward Cullen.

"Bella?" Edward asked, reaching out towards me once again.

I stepped away from him, averting my eyes. I took deep breaths and focused on the clipboard in my hands.

The hinge. The warranty claim. Appointment. Yes, an appointment for another day would give me some time to figure out how to react to seeing Edward again.

Then if I wanted to yell at him and sic my attack dog on him, I could.

_Pull it together Bella. _

"I'm sorry, it's been a difficult week," I sniffed, not able to pretend that I wasn't crying. I shook my head and looked at my clipboard. "I spoke with my boss about your car, and he and I both agree that the fuel door hinge is a warranty issue. There's no way that it was just ripped off or bent, or whatever, without a manufacturer defect being present. It's just not humanly possible."

I looked up at Edward briefly and saw his face flash with surprise. I smiled to myself at that, and then went back to looking at my clipboard.

"If you can make the time to bring it in, we'll repair it and your warranty will cover one hundred percent of the parts and labor."

I glanced up and Edward's face showed only the most neutral of expressions.

"I appreciate that Bella. I'm not sure that it's entirely necessary however. I would be more than happy to just pay for the part and be out of your hair," he said politely.

I had assumed that Emmett's preference to purchase the part without bringing the car in was due to his desire to keep the damage a secret. Now that Edward knew about the problem with his new vehicle, I couldn't understand why he wouldn't want to get it fixed on Volvo's dime. His words insinuated that he thought himself a nuisance, but he must have overlooked the fact that this was my job. Perhaps he didn't care whether or not the car got fixed; it obviously wasn't his only car. Or perhaps he just didn't care to see me again.

But I cared. I cared a lot. Far more than I should considering that I'd barely known him. Far more than I should considering the way he'd dismissed me and then disappeared five years ago. I realized that it was rather vain to have ever assumed that his sudden departure from Forks High School had anything to do with me, but I knew somehow that it had everything to do with me… me and Tyler Crowley's stupid van.

The memories of that awful day and the dreams that followed in its wake had stayed with me all these years, no matter how hard I'd tried to forget. Worse than that, his subsequent departure fueled the idle tongues in our small town and I had to listen to rumors and stories about Edward and the Cullens at every turn for weeks.

I'd spent an entire month downplaying his involvement in my rescue, protecting the very secrets he didn't deem me worthy of knowing, and then he'd walked away and left me there without explanation or apology.

I wanted my explanation. I wanted an apology. My decision was made.

"Edward. You should know that if I sell you the part and allow you to make the repair yourself, it will no longer be covered under your warranty. Volvo, unfortunately, only guarantees work done by our technicians. I know it's just a small part, and I'm sure you can take care of it. But, I hate see you voiding your entire warranty on a brand new car just to avoid the hassle of bringing it in." I may have exaggerated the details slightly in my favor, but I needed time to think and I wanted to make sure I would see Edward again after I had done that.

I squared my shoulders and stood up straight, playing the part of the confident service adviser that I usually was. "I'm sure it's a very great inconvenience for you to come back another day, but it may save you some trouble in the long run. I'd like for you to consider letting our staff take care of this repair for you. I've already done all the paperwork, all you have to do is make an appointment."

"Alright. Whatever you want, Bella."

It was not the response I expected.

"Oh, okay. How's Tuesday?" I asked, surprised.

"Tuesday is perfect."

"Um, morning or afternoon?"

"Afternoon would be best. Perhaps your last appointment?" he suggested.

"I'll have to go inside and check the computer. Will you-"

"I'll wait right here," Edward said, opening the door to the lobby for me with a small smile.

"I... I'll be right back," I said, walking past him feeling more than a little confused.

Once inside, I had to stave off about a thousand questions from Jerry while I used his computer to schedule a time for Edward to bring the S60 back on Tuesday afternoon.

No, I had no idea what was with the death stare. No, he wasn't harassing me. Yes, he acted fine around me. No, I didn't plan on dismissing my boss in front of other customers in the future. Yes, I was sure about that. No, Edward Cullen had certainly not come here to ask me out. Yes, I was definitely sure about that too.

I managed to convince Jerry that he'd better let me go deal with the subject of our discussion or we were going to lose a customer, and I didn't think the owner of the dealership would appreciate that.

When I made my way to the double doors, Edward was waiting to open it for me once again. I didn't mean to be rude, but the gesture made me roll my eyes. His moods really were all over the place. Five minutes ago he was practically growling at my service manager, now he's opening doors and stuff.

I handed Edward the appointment reminder card. "You're all set for Tuesday at four forty-five. Is that going to work for you?" I asked.

"It's perfect. Thank you," he answered, his face alight with a crooked smile.

I must have been staring, because he chuckled and cleared his throat before taking a step away from me. My cheeks grew warm, and I blushed.

Edward inhaled sharply and closed his eyes. His smiled tightened, but relaxed when he opened his eyes again.

"I should probably be going now. I'm afraid I've kept my mother waiting, and I'm sure you'd like to go home for the evening." He nodded towards the car behind him and my eyes went to the passenger's side window, though I was unable to see if anyone was inside.

"You're mother?" I asked, peering around Edward, genuinely curious. I hadn't expected him to be with his... _mother?_

"Yes, she's been patiently waiting. I really should get back to her."

"Oh, of course." I tilted my head and inexplicably waved at the person I couldn't see inside of Edward's fancy car. I truly hoped she really was his mother or something like it, otherwise I was making an idiot of myself right now.

Edward chuckled and I saw a silent movement behind the glass, which I assumed was a return of my greeting.

"Goodbye then," I said cordially.

"Until Tuesday, Bella." He smiled that damned crooked smile again as he made his way around to the driver's side, making my heart race and my brain-mouth filter malfunction.

"Remember to bring the correct vehicle on Tuesday," I said, a little too loud and a little condescendingly.

Edward glanced up at me seeming surprised and nodded.

I waved politely and then turned around to go inside the building, but felt guilty for being so rude. I spun back around and said the first nice thing I could think of besides telling him how beautiful he was.

"You have very nice taste, by the way."

Edward snapped his head up and quirked it to the side.

"In cars. I mean, the S60, and this…" I gestured to the Aston Martin. "It's very nice. I've never actually seen a Vanquish before." I shrugged, embarrassed that I even knew what kind of car he had. It sounded a little bit like I was a stalker.

Edward's eyes brightened noticeably at my words though, and I had to look away before he completely incapacitated me with his beauty.

Stupid, dazzling vampires in their hot cars.

"See you Tuesday, Edward," I said and turned my back to him, walking away from him before he could walk away from me. I was such a stupid, stupid, stupid girl.

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End Note:

_Um... Review? Please? _

If we can hit 60 reviews, I'll update early.

Come on... Let me hear your theories! :-)


	7. Chapter 6: Visions and Vacillations

_**A/N:** Oh my Holy Edwards! Wow. I guess I should have thrown the gauntlet down sooner. I asked for your reviews and you delivered and then some! Thank you for the heavenly response to Chapter 5, I hope you will be as ecstatic about this chapter and I do apologize in advance for the shortness of it. It had to be done.  
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_To **kanyaran**, who made me a very happy writer today- thank you BB! To st8girl, who has been there from chapter 1- big smooches! To my lovely pre-readers, especially **farawaymomo** for working overtime to help me get this next chapter ready to update on time- thank you, thank you, thank you!_

**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other entities and brands are the property of their respective owners. The original content, ideas and characters of this story are owned by Virginia May, May 2010.**

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**Chapter 6:**

"**Visions and Vacillations"**

Tuesday seemed as though it would never come. It might have been considered humorous that four days could feel like a lifetime to one who'd walked the earth for over a century, but it felt true enough to me. By early Saturday morning, less than twelve hours since last seeing Bella, I was pacing in my room, both counting down the minutes until I could see her again and simultaneously trying to talk myself out of getting involved in her life.

"I don't think you can do it, Edward. You won't be able to stay away from her this time," Alice said quietly from her perch on my bed where she'd been mostly silent for the better part of the last two hours.

"I know," I answered, feeling defeated. I could not reconcile what was happening with what I knew was right. I had been actively fighting it, but the pull I felt towards Bella only continued to grow in strength with each passing hour.

I watched on helplessly as Alice's visions fluctuated back and forth with my indecision.

Unfortunately, the more I'd seen Bella in Alice's mind, the more that I wanted to see her. When I would try to convince myself how wrong it was to get involved in her life, the vision would disappear and the aching hole in my chest would open wider. The burning desire to ease that ache would then rage within me, louder and stronger until I would waiver, and Alice would see me once again standing in front of Bella's smiling face.

It was pure agony, followed by supreme relief.

"Come sit." Alice patted the spot next to her on the bed.

I paced once more from the window to the door, and then gave in, sitting next to her. She put her arm around my shoulders, as much as she could when I towered over her, and pulled my head down to rest on top of hers. I could see how determined she was to comfort me, so I just accepted the gesture. A few moments passed before she let me go and looked up at me with an expression that could only be described as pleading.

"Edward, I know that it's important to your sense of integrity that you've exhausted every available possibility before giving in, but I know that you want this… and you need to know that's okay. You love her, you won't hurt her."

"It's impossible for you to know that Alice," I said, for the umpteenth time.

"I realize that I'm operating under less than ideal conditions here, but I'm not totally blind. Good old-fashioned common sense tells me that hurting her would hurt you. Sure, accidents can happen, but that's true for whomever Bella is with. I just don't think you have it in you to do anything that would end her life. It would kill you too. You need her, Edward."

Before I could protest, Alice's thoughts were filled with her earlier vision.

_ I pull up in the Volvo outside the service department where Bella works. Her head snaps up when she catches sight of the silver car, but she returns to her work, looking hurried, irritated even. A customer approaches her and after a brief exchange and the return of his keys, Bella walks the man outside to his car. When he has gone, I step out of my car slowly. Bella looks at me and lets out a breath, like she'd been holding it for a long time. I approach her slowly, seeing that her tense face relaxes with each step until finally, she smiles._

"See," Alice chirped. "You need that smile like the earth needs the sun. And if you ask me, it kind of looks like she needs you too."

"I'm the last thing she needs," I sighed.

"I think you're wrong," she smirked and stood. "But we'll see."

I waved her off and reclined back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I could still recall with perfect clarity the visions that Alice had experienced when we lived in Forks. Two futures: both ending in the loss of Bella's human life, both a result of my decisions or mistakes. Now those futures were seemingly gone as far as Alice could tell, but what did that mean? Could I be with Bella without hurting her? Would she have me? Our confusing interaction yesterday told me that I would have my work cut out for me.

Bella didn't trust me. She was afraid of me.

I'd foolishly attempted to show her that I meant no harm to her. To show her with a simple touch that I had regrets, that I would tell her anything if she would just grant me the opportunity, but she'd shirked from my touch. It hurt me more than I could have imagined seeing her back away from me, her eyes downcast.

Which was why I'd been surprised that she insisted I bring my Volvo back to her.

For some reason, she seemed to want me to return. She could have just let me pay for the part and been done with me, but she didn't. Esme was of the opinion that Bella had pushed repairing the Volvo at the dealership because she wanted to see me again. Perhaps my mother was right. Bella had complimented my taste in automobiles, going out of her way to say something kind to me. But then, I'd known from my time in high school with her that Bella was kind. She was kind to Esme, even separated by a window she clearly couldn't see through. Her kindness didn't mean anything significant.

Did her smile? When she'd said my name she'd smiled. According to Alice, she would smile for me again. Did that mean something?

I heard my family moving about in their various activities. They were, as usual, in pairs. Alice and Jasper were being typical Alice and Jasper, having some wordless, frozen-in-time moment that I felt slightly embarrassed to be sharing with them. Emmett laughed quietly at something Rose whispered in his ear about the last time they were in Niagara Falls, causing them both to think about it and make me cringe. Esme and Carlisle were reading together in bed, the one place they routinely occupied during the hours just before dawn.

Rolling over on the empty bed in my own room, I wished not for the first time that I could sleep. I would gladly slumber through the next four days, but as I could not, it appeared to be a very good time to go for another run. I abruptly dashed through the open balcony door and leapt the thirty feet to the ground before taking off in a full sprint towards the darkened woods. I ran as I always did when I was alone or troubled, pushing myself to extremes and testing my own limits.

When I found myself entering an area of human habitation, I finally slowed to look around. I was facing west, just shy of a waterfront. From the thoughts I could hear around me, I realized that I had ventured farther into a residential community than I'd meant to. Decades of experience should have taught me to be far more careful about running without restraint while I was preoccupied. Even my vampire mind was capable of making mistakes.

Given the cause of my current preoccupation, I couldn't afford mistakes. Bella had a history of noticing every misstep I'd ever made around her. Little seemed to escape her attention.

To that end, something she'd said yesterday continued to linger heavily in my mind.

_ "There's no way that it was just ripped off, or bent..."_

_"It's just not humanly possible."_

I'd seen the challenge flash in her eyes when she'd spoken those words. It was almost as if she was baiting me. Could she have known the truth lying beneath them? If so, how could she have possibly figured it out?

I knew of course that she was aware that I was not exactly normal, seeing as how I'd exposed part of my nature to her in the parking lot of Forks High School five years ago. But did she have actual knowledge of our secret? What exactly had Emmett said to her about the way the Volvo was damaged?

It occurred to me that in all likelihood I was just being paranoid. Yes, Bella was intelligent and unquestionably observant. But even if she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I wasn't human, it didn't mean that she knew what I was. An inexplicable rescue and a mysteriously broken fuel door hardly pointed to the word_ vampire. _ There were hundreds of other possibilities for her to have imagined. The odds that she would guess, and guess correctly, were astronomical. The stars would have to have been aligned against me, if I believed in such things.

Looking up at those very stars from a small park on the shore of what I now realized must be Lake Washington, I was only minutes away from Bella and the mysteries guarded inside her silent mind. I wondered again just how much that anomaly drew me to her. Surely it went beyond mere curiosity by now. There was something more appealing to me about her mental silence than what could be explained by curiosity alone. Silence was a difficult thing for me to come by unless I was completely isolated, and I'd spent enough time alone to last several lifetimes. I desired company as much as the rest of my family, but it always came at a cost. Even sitting here in the early morning house, I was not alone. Most nearby residents were still sleeping on this early Saturday morning, but their minds were still at work in some way or another, audible to me even in their sleep.

Bella was likely sleeping right now not far from where I stood. Could the mysteries of her mind avail themselves to me in her dreams? Would whatever thing that kept me from knowing her thoughts function while she was unconscious? Considering her cryptic words from yesterday, I pondered if it was worth the risk to find out.

Running silently once more through the sparse brush surrounding the lake, it didn't really require a conscious decision to begin moving towards Bella. I had to know if my theories about her held any merit. No risk seemed too great for a chance to hear and see inside Bella's mind. I would give almost anything to know the musings hidden within. To know how she saw the world, even if only in her dreams, would be an incredible gift.

Unfortunately, the sun was rising and I was quickly running out of time to get to her before daylight. I hadn't pre-planned this little trip and had no foreknowledge of the day's weather or even my cell phone to call Alice.

_Great. Very responsible, Cullen._

I could only hope that I wasn't about to end up in some situation from which Alice would inevitably have to bail me out. Of course at the same time, I realized given I was on my way to Bella's, I couldn't even be certain that Alice would see me. I stopped running near two large lakefront homes and sought out any nearby thoughts. I hoped to find someone awake and checking on the weather this time of morning, but found none who were. Instead, I lifted a newspaper from a driveway and checked the weather page, groaning when I saw the forecast: 61 degrees, Mostly Sunny.

My memory instantly recalled that Alice had mentioned Saturday might be sunny when she'd had her first vision of Bella. "_It's not for a few days at least. The sun was shining, so I think Saturday maybe..."_

Alice's visions were never exact, but between her prediction and the meteorologists at the _Seattle Times_, I thought better than to push my luck. As it was, the run home was going to be tricky enough as the sun continued to rise over the mountains to the east and the cloud cover above me disappeared. So long as I remained in such close proximity to human households there was the danger of being seen, even if all anyone saw was a blazing streak of light running through the forest.

_Edward…_

_ He doesn't deserve to be bailed out. Foolish… Irrational…Unprepared… _

Both my sister and brother's mental voices caught my attention. Alice had come to get me with a very unhappy Jasper in tow. She'd seen me after all and decided to intervene before I became stranded or worse. I changed course, moving towards the direction I knew they were approaching from.

_Alright brother dear. Y__ou're about to come to the road. I'll be waiting at the tree line for you._

I watched through Alice's mind, using her eyes to get my bearings. I found the road with ease and Carlisle's Mercedes rolled to a stop just as I came to the tree line. I only hoped that I could manage to get into the car without being seen in the light of day. I knew it would prove to be a bit of a gamble with the burgeoning sunshine and growing number of human drivers nearby. I opened the car door and got in the back seat just as the sunlight broke through the last of the clouds.

"Thank you, Alice. Jasper."

Jasper grabbed something off the dash and threw it at me. I caught it a millisecond before it could hit me square between the eyes.

"Keep your phone with you. You acted irresponsibly and put yourself, and by extension, the rest of us, at risk."

I nodded in acknowledgment of Jasper's warning, while mulling over the rest of his thoughts and my own. My pride wanted to argue that I wouldn't have been exposed. I'd been on my own for the majority of the last five years and not needed Alice to keep me out of the sun. But I knew I'd be lying if I claimed that I'd been using the full capacity of my reasoning skills lately. The draw to be near Bella, the need to keep her safe, the emotions waging war within my soul, it was a dangerous cocktail that made me do impulsive things.

The all too brief glimpse of warmth and sunshine that day afforded my family some entertainment and made for a welcome distraction. As we were fortunate to have access to a large lake in a portion of the National Forest that was closed off for reforestation, we took advantage of the privacy for a little fun. Water polo was not a sport we had opportunity to indulge in frequently, and it was even less often that we could get away with it on a sunny day.

Emmett and I finally took the time to talk before the family regrouped for our third match of the day. An overzealous volley had led to the destruction of a large stone we used in place of a ball. While the others sought out an acceptable replacement, Emmett approached me. I felt a moderate amount of guilt that his apologies led to Rosalie huffing off for home. She was far more upset by his decision to interfere in my life than I was, and for vastly different reasons. She'd even gone so far as to disassemble his 4x4 Range Rover and leave it in unrecognizable pieces on the front lawn. Apparently she had no intentions of forgiving him anytime soon.

In contrast, as uncharacteristic of me as it was to just let something go, I was having a hard time holding an unnecessary grudge against my well-meaning brother. It took all of about three seconds for me to see that Emmett had thought it through and his logic wasn't entirely asinine, he just had underestimated the stakes in his gamble. Only time would tell whether or not the risk he took was worth the wager.

After a few more rounds of water polo and a ridiculous attempt at Sharks and Minnows, I spent the last sun soaked hour of the day lying on a large rock, thinking of Bella and our brief reunion.

Sunday came and went, ushering in the return of thick cloud cover and rain. As the light of day drew to a close and twilight fell on the house, Alice and Jasper disappeared into the pouring rain for a private swim. Not thinking too much on the reasons why, I smiled to myself knowing how happy they were, or perhaps _because_ of how happy they were. Jasper rarely held back from sharing that emotion. It was a relatively new thing to him in his long existence.

Several hours later their return was markedly somber, which caught my attention as soon as I was able to hear their thoughts. Carlisle noticed me lower my book as I concentrated on both of them.

_What is it?_ Carlisle looked to the windows of his study as soon as we could hear their footfalls squish along over the wet ground. "Jasper and Alice," he guessed.

"Yes. Something happened while they were out. Alice is trying not to think about it. She wants to talk to both of us," I answered, feeling uneasy.

"Hmm," he said nodding, and continued to scan the article he was working on. Carlisle was nothing if not patient. I, on the other hand, was ready to get up and meet Alice on the lawn.

My brother and sister entered the house through their room and changed into dry clothes before descending the steps to the study. They came in without knocking and Alice was speaking before she even entered the room.

"We're going to have company. She's going to be a problem." A flash of bright red-hair and crimson eyes took over Alice's mind for a brief instant.

"What makes you say so, Alice? I assume we are talking about a visitor of the vampire kind?" Carlisle sat forward.

"Yes, a nomad that we've met before. She was with her coven last time. Two males, James and Laurent, and the female was called Victoria."

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, of course. Their hunting activities were drawing attention, but they left when we asked them to desist. What is your concern with her now, Alice?"

My father's mind was open to me as he spoke to Alice. The coven in question had come after I left Forks, killing somewhat injudiciously on and around the Olympic Peninsula. They'd heard the crack of a bat while my family was out playing baseball one afternoon and came to investigate. Carlisle had been kind to them and encouraged their curiosity regarding our lifestyle, but when he found that it was insincere, they left soon after at his request.

Alice continued talking while I put to memory everything Carlisle has seen or thought of these strangers.

"She's alone now, without her coven. I…" She shook her head, trying not to think of the actual vision while she spoke. "I saw her changing a boy in Seattle."

"What?" I asked, standing from my seat. The images of my own making filled my mind; the idea of a ravenous newborn vampire loose in the city where Bella lived was horrifying.

Carlisle took a deep breath and leaned back in his desk chair. "You're sure?"

"Yes." Alice locked eyes with me, flashes of her vision coming through. "She will try tonight, but she'll fail. Then again tomorrow. She'll feed first to try and control herself, but it won't work. She will kill several others. One…"

My eyes were filled again with scenes from Alice's vision. This time a mangled female body bent and broken over Victoria's knee, pale pink skin made paler still in death, long brown hair matted with blood, a University of Washington Huskies tee shirt torn from slender shoulders in the attacker's rage.

"No!" I screamed, staggering back and nearly falling over a chair.

Jasper caught my arm and tried to calm me while Carlisle came around the desk in a lightning fast movement. I was vaguely aware that the rest of the family had made their way towards the room and were watching on with varying degrees of concern.

Putting a hand on my shoulder, Carlisle asked the only question that mattered.

"Bella Swan?"

Esme gasped, and Rosalie's teeth ground together.

Alice shook her head, her words rushed and nearly choked by her own fear. "I can't see her face. I just know it's going to be a girl with long brown hair and a U Dubb tee shirt. Victoria won't be able to stop, Carlisle. The girl in my vision will die, and then Victoria will find another. That boy… he'll be changed. He wakes up on Friday."

My mind calculated the time table and desperately sought confirmation that I was wrong. "Alice! Can you see Bella after Tuesday?" I shouted.

"It's all fuzzy, Edward. I don't..."

I was through the front door before Alice even finished her words. I had to get to Bella. I could no longer wait until Tuesday. Tuesday could be too late. Already, there was a rogue vampire loose somewhere in Seattle. Already, events were in motion that would result in the death of a brown haired university student, and I would be damned again if I let it be Bella.

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_End Note:_

_So... Unless I need to be constructing a bunker, (I hear this is a popular thing for many authors to have at times like these), the next chapter will be posted on time. (Sunday or Monday at the latest.)  
_

_Please review. :-) Ginnie  
_


	8. Chapter 7: Protector

**Disclaimer:****The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, March 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_**A/N: **Thank you so much to **farawaymomo** for stepping up and holding my hand through this chapter and it's many, many drafts! Thanks go to **Jillian Landers, Bella Cella Luna**, and **Essay33** (whose computer was sadly down while I was writing this) as well. _

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**Chapter 7:**

"**Protector"**

The forty mile drive to Bella's took twenty-five agonizing minutes. I hated sharing the road with tired and hopelessly unaware human drivers on a normal day, but tonight the added delay from their presence threatened to send me into a murderous rage. I'd set out on foot originally, but was unable to get out of range of my family before they could convince me to stop and take the car, hopefully minimizing the scent of vampire going to and from Bella's home. Jasper had made a good point about minimizing any connection to us and preventing any perceived territory disputes. The last thing I wanted to do was draw Victoria's curiosity and lead her right to the girl.

I spent the time in the car replaying Alice's vision in my head, over and again. It was sick and depraved how I analytically studied the foretold murder as though it were a puzzle to be solved, rather than the end of a human life. But the more I evaluated the details ingrained in my memory, I felt one thing and one thing only; relief.

It wasn't Bella. It couldn't be. The girl was too tall. Her legs were bent in unnatural and horrifying angles, but they were too long. Her hair, even matted with blood was the wrong shade of brown from the darker, richer tones I saw on Friday. It wasn't Bella.

Somewhere locked away deep within my perfect vampire memory were images that could confirm this fact for me, images that now unwittingly sprung to the surface. These images I knew well. I'd tortured myself with them for months, citing the horror and carnage as reason enough to stay far away from Forks permanently. Alice had seen the possibility of Bella's death at my hands several times over; in our biology classroom, at Chief Swan's house, at our house, and finally, the most insufferable of all, in the very meadow I'd once considered a place of refuge and respite.

I felt myself cycling into a tailspin of self-loathing and remorse, but was powerless to halt it at the moment. One way or another, my presence in Bella's life always seemed to bring disaster upon her. I smirked a little though as another thought came to mind; as far as I could recall, Bella needed little help in that department to begin with. My involvement just took it to a whole new level. For now though, there was no choice in the matter as far as I was concerned. Bella needed me.

I'd seen her physical address in Jasper's mind and relied on my memory of Seattle's street grid to get me there. The location made perfect sense. Her apartment was situated perfectly between her job at Volvo and the university.

Once I reached the aged red brick building, I discovered that for my own purposes, Bella's current residence was conveniently located at the juncture of two main roads and backed up to the heavily wooded Ravenna Park. Being right across the street from a much taller building as well as surrounded on three sides by trees and dense foliage, it allowed me virtually limitless vantage points to keep watch from. Unfortunately, the very thing that was a benefit to me was an advantage to others as well; others like Victoria and her forthcoming newborn, both of whom would find Bella far too appealing to resist.

When I first arrived on Bella's street, I was intensely relieved by the sound of her voice reaching my ears. She was home safe and blissfully unaware of the potential threat she could be facing. The laughter I heard moments later caused a physical reaction in me, relieving the excruciating tension I'd felt almost as if I'd been administered an analgesic. I could actually feel the difference in my joints brought on by knowing she was safe.

Bella sounded as though she were on the phone while I drove the surrounding area in search of a place to park my car. It needed to be near enough so that I could hear everything going on inside her building, but hidden well from easy viewing should she happen to look out the window or go outside. It was a stroke of luck that the much newer high-rise across the street had underground parking and a push-button security keypad for entrance. I only had to wait a few minutes for a resident to return and visualize the four digit code in their thoughts.

Alone in the parking garage, I opened the windows a fraction of an inch and listened to the world around me with both my physical and mental hearing. There were dozens of minds in the building above me and more in the surrounding homes and businesses as well, but none were vampire.

There was foolish woman jogging through the park with pepper spray clutched tightly in her hand and an attitude. For as much as she told herself she could handle any trouble that came her way, she was afraid of being out this late at night as she rightly should have been. I'd discovered that in living here, my love's safety and security were not threatened by the supernatural world alone. Several of Bella's neighbors had filthy minds and illegal hobbies that would be sure to attract a number of unsavory characters.

I was never going to be able to go home again. Even though I knew I couldn't stay in this parking garage forever, I decided that I might eventually have to buy the whole building outright and evict the drug dealers and part-time pimps. After which, I could buy Bella's building and fire the corrupt superintendent who had been funneling money into his own pocket that was set aside for needed repairs to the individual apartments.

Eventually, Bella's phone conversation came to an end. She was apparently in the habit of calling both of her parents on Sunday evenings and once they had said goodbye until next week, Bella turned off most of the lights in her apartment and checked the locks on the front and back doors. _Good girl. _

It was after midnight, but Bella remained awake and working on the computer. I could hear her typing away quite furiously. The patterned sounds told me she was moving at an average rate of seventy words per minute, with fairly good accuracy.

I was as surprised as she was when her phone rang loudly just before one in the morning. Her startled yelp was what caught me off guard more than the tinny sounding version of "Sweet Caroline" coming from the device. Bella took a deep breath, lowering her heart rate a notch, before answering.

"Hey, Jess. You made it?"

_Jess._ Could be male or female. Not that it was any of my business. I really should have been disgusted with myself for caring. But I wasn't. Not tonight.

"Good. How was the flight? How did Caroline do?" _Ah, Sweet Caroline of course_. I wondered who Caroline was.

"Yeah. No, I didn't wait up. I was working on an assignment. What time is it there?"

"Wow. I better let you go to bed. Did you call your mom and let her know you got in okay? Well, you need to do that or she's going to wake you up in the middle of the night." Bella laughed. "Alright, Jess. Goodnight. Give Carebear a hug and kiss from me. And tell Nick I say hi."

"I miss you too... Yes, really." She laughed again. "No, no parties in your old room. I'm appreciating the peace and quiet. Even if it is a little too quiet."

Another pause.

"I love you too, Jessica Stanley, soon-to-be Hansen. Goodnight."

Bella sighed as she set her phone down and went back to work on her assignment while I pondered her final words. Jessica Stanley. Bella _loved_ Jessica Stanley. How had that happened?

Bella eventually went to bed and any hopes that I might have been granted some insight into her previously silent mind were quickly extinguished. I was disappointed to discover that even in her sleep-altered state of consciousness I was locked out of her thoughts. I could hear soft murmurs and small groans coming from her, even a softly spoken "no" and "Dad" reached my ears. But while she did seem to talk in her sleep, I heard not a word nor saw a single image coming from inside Bella's mind.

Hearing her mumble softly spoken words was still exhilarating. Perhaps she would speak more and reveal her thoughts as she slumbered. After a few hours however, she only tossed and turned and mumbled one syllable phrases. As the rain began to pour and slap against the windows, Bella's sleep became more and more restless. It left me aching to comfort her when she sounded so distressed, and then burning with embarrassment when she her incoherent noises suddenly became more consistent with sounds of pleasure as the rain stilled to a soft mist.

I spoke with Alice over the phone on and off, getting updates that weren't really updates. She'd seen nothing new, though we both agreed that she had likely just panicked at the resemblance to Bella. Carlisle had decided that we could not interfere with Victoria unless it directly concerned Bella. Theoretically, I agreed with him.

Night turned to dawn and the human world slowly came back to life. I had to roll up the windows and remain completely still when several people emerged from the stairwells to leave for work.

Around nine I began to wonder how late Bella would sleep today. She'd only gone to bed seven hours earlier, so I imagined it may not be too much longer. Human beings were supposed to get eight hours of sleep a day, but many Americans reported getting closer to six and a half to seven hours. I was about to call Alice and see if there was any chance she could tell me when Bella would wake up when I heard it.

"Edward."

My name.

Muffled by glass, and brick, and drywall, the soft sound of my name falling from Bella's lips hit me with the force of diesel locomotive.

She was dreaming of me. She thought of me. She sounded… happy.

Something stirred inside me. A torrent of emotion that was familiar and yet so foreign that I couldn't even say I'd experienced it before. Was this love? I thought I knew it before, but I wasn't sure I had.

It was as though I had only ever experienced it academically. In theory I loved Bella. I knew that I did. I would sacrifice myself for her. I would put her needs before my own. I would revere her and hold her in esteem. I would die for her. If necessary, or if it were possible. All of these things meant that I loved Bella. I knew it in my head.

But now… flooded with a warmth and heat I had never experienced in well over a century, I _felt_ my love for Bella. Every fiber of my being pulsed with a new understanding brought on by hearing her call my name. I could feel her as though she were a part of me, and I would never be the same.

I waited on bated breath for her to continue speaking, for some sign that she'd roused from her dreams, but Bella's breathing and pulse remained steady. She slept on. Even though she didn't make another sound, I really I wanted her to. I wanted to see her when she said it, too. I wanted to know if her face was really one of content. I wanted to know how her mouth looked when her lips shaped the word.

I wondered if I could get from here to there undetected, and if I did, would she have her windows covered shutting me out? Most likely. She had closed the drapes in the living room last night before retreating to her room on the second floor. A part of me knew it would be no trouble at all to break in and imagined doing just that, but the gentleman in me, the one who loved Bella more than myself, shoved the other guy in a corner. Breaking and entering was a little low, even for me.

The next twenty-four hours proved to be a challenge in more ways than one. Bella muttered my name two more times before waking and showering. My early twentieth century sensibilities returned with fervor at the images associated with the sound, and a definite feeling of impropriety washed over me. I attempted to look for nearby human thoughts to keep me distracted, but the effort was fruitless and I ended up starting my car and going for a quick drive around the neighborhood instead.

When I estimated enough time had passed for me to safely return, I did so only to find that Bella had already left her apartment. Didn't most women take longer than that to get ready? Her truck was there, but a quick breath of air from outside revealed that she'd been on the street recently. Momentary panic gave way to confusion when Alice called.

"Alice?"

"She's on her way to class. She'll be getting off of a bus in front of a huge library in about five minutes," Alice chirped.

"Wait? You can see her?" I asked stunned.

"Yes, silly. All of today! I've had several visions. She'll be grocery shopping later and is planning on making enchiladas for dinner, I think. She's cleaning her apartment when she gets home, but will hit her head on the freezer door at some point so don't freak out…"

"Alice, hold on a second. What about tomorrow? What about Victoria?"

"Victoria's plan is firm. Tonight, no earlier. Bella's safe for today. I really don't think it's Bella that she's going to attack anyway, and like I said last night, I'm really sorry for not knowing that to begin with. I just… I can't see Bella clearly and I panicked," she explained again.

"Alice, it's not your fault," I said truthfully.

"Thanks Edward, I appreciate that. Also, I was hoping you would let me do something to make both of us feel better after last night's scare," she said her tone becoming lighter again.

"What is it?

"Well, you need to hunt before tomorrow and the weather is going to be all over the place for the next few hours. So… I thought maybe I could watch over Bella while you hunt. That way, you do what you need to do before tonight and I get to skip having to phone you every time the sun decides to pop out."

"And…" I said, drawing out the word. "You get to see Bella. Is that it?" I asked, shaking my head.

"And I get to see Bella."

"Alice," I said, complaining.

"Oh, come on. Do you we have a deal?" she asked.

"Alright, Al. I'm on my way to campus. Where should I meet you?"

That evening, just before dusk, I landed on a large branch below my sister before pulling myself up to sit next to her in a tree outside Bella's building. It was a good choice, well hidden with a great view of both the first and second story windows of her apartment. The kitchen was almost entirely un-obscured from here.

"Where is she?" I asked, lacking Bella's mental signature to pin her location down.

"She's on the lower level in the front of the apartment. After grocery shopping, she unloaded her food and made dinner. It's in the oven and I've only heard her move once since then. She's reading, I think."

"And speaking of reading," I gestured to the magazine in her lap and then the small shopping bag that hung on the branch next to her. "What's all this?"

I trusted Alice, but there was a warning in my tone. She was supposed to be watching over Bella today, out of sight.

"Well, I had to tag along. I pretended to go shopping at the same strip mall. She didn't see me." She shrugged.

"Pretended, huh?" I asked, smirking.

"Well… obviously I bought some things. I thought you may like some reading material for tonight while she sleeps." Alice looked at me with a wicked twinkle in her eye and I saw that she was hiding something from me. I narrowed my eyes and looked for a chink in her armor.

"Oh, relax," she sighed, flicking her wrist. Then her face twitched and she smiled up at me. "You didn't tell me Bella talked in her sleep."

If I could have blushed, I would have been. Alice had apparently been seeing Bella a little earlier than she let on.

_I think it' s sweet. And a very good sign. _

I decided to ignore her thoughts and change the subject by asking her about tomorrow.

"It's weird, Edward. It's like something is blocking me from seeing Bella. I can see you here until she leaves for work tomorrow morning, but nothing after that. It's… well, look."

Alice placed her little hands on her temples and closed her eyes like a flea market gypsy would. I saw the serious effort she was making though and knew she thought it helped her focus. She saw Bella typing on a laptop at her desk, then the image shattered and faded into white. The white fractured and split, and there was only grey smattered with glimmering shards of light. One or two of the shards would morph into an image before fading to grey again. Bella's face. Her job. My face. My Volvo. Then a lightning fast glimpse of two hands clasped together, one small and pink, the other pale white and much larger with long fingers I recognized as my own.

I looked up at Alice with eyes wide, wanting to ask her to concentrate on that one image but she was already trying to force it to expand. The glimmering and changing images slowed down but would not come into focus. The one she sought after continued to escape her and it became obvious to me that her efforts caused her discomfort. The result was not being productive, the images continuing to flicker and then disappear into a blur of grey.

"Alice, stop." I placed my hand on her shoulder. "It's okay."

She looked up at me frustrated and confused. _I don't understand what's happening to me._

"It's okay, Alice. We'll figure it out," I comforted her. She leaned into me and nodded into my chest, hoping that I was right. She felt certain that if anyone could help her it was me, or Jasper. At the moment, she wanted Jasper more than anything. I leaned back to look at her.

"Maybe your husband is absorbing some of your talent," I said smiling.

She quirked her head to the side. _What do you mean?_

"He's on his way. I just picked his thoughts up. He's a mile or two away but he'll be here soon."

Alice smiled and sat up cheerfully. Crisis solved.

"He's early," she chirped and moved lithely to get up.

"Thank you for today, Al."

"No problem. I really loved spending time with Bella. Even if she didn't know I was here." She winked at me. _Soon_.

"Alice," I groaned.

"Have a good night, Edward," she said, kissing my cheek and jumped down to go meet her mate.

Tuesday morning finally arrived. The dawn broke to reveal a mostly cloudy day, but with huge holes in the cloud cover that meant that I could not remain in my tree any longer.

Bella woke early and got ready for school and work. She would sigh every so often an incessantly tapped her cutlery against her dish while she ate. While she waited for her coffee to brew, I was fairly certain I heard her tell herself she was crazy. I wondered if it was worry over the upcoming day, or if her dreams during the night were plaguing her. Were the dreams of me driving her mad? They were close to having that effect on me.

Alice had made an effort to hide it from me yesterday, but I knew now that she must have seen what I was to endure during the course of the night. Her attempt to provide me a distraction in the form of semi-intelligent reading material was not successful.

Bella's sleep had once again been restless. She retired much earlier than she had the previous night but still tossed and turned. She'd also called out my name repeatedly in her sleep. Sounding anywhere from terrified, to sad, to longing, it passed through her lips again and again. Each time it left me more confused than the last.

_Edward. _

_Edward, stay. _

_Edward, go. _

_No, Edward. _

_Edward, please. _

_Stop, Edward. _

_Mmm, Edward. _

_Edward…stay._

My frenzied thoughts and emotions were only made more volatile by the fact that I was not the exclusive subject in Bella's dreams. She'd spoken of her father and mother, but she'd also spoken of a Jacob or Jake. I could only assume they were one in the same. At least I hoped that was the case. It bothered me more than it should have. Perhaps because she'd said his name almost as many times as she said mine.

_Jacob, no. Don't, Jake. Jake, please. No, Jacob, no! Jacob, I'm sorry._

I was just beginning to think that I would grow to hate that name when she finally settled into a deeper dreamless sleep.

After she left the university campus and boarded a bus for work, the day passed even more slowly. I returned home to shower and change into fresh clothes, while Alice and Jasper stayed in the Ravenna area just in case Victoria's future changed suddenly. As the sun moved through the sky, I sat at home watching the shadows grow long and I waited. The last hours ticked by, second by excruciating second.

Not having the patience or the fortitude to sit still any longer, I left early and arrived at Ravenna Volvo well before my appointment time. A line had formed under the service awning and trickled out onto the street. Jasper and Alice passed me on their way back home and gave me a mental "good luck".

Today was vastly different from yesterday. Today, I would not have to hide my presence from Bella. Today, I would not feel the nagging guilt of intruding on her. Today, I could actually talk to her and hope that she would be willing to invite me into her life. I no longer questioned whether it was right for me to do so; my need to protect her and care for her outweighed my sense of nobility.

As I watched the busyness of the service department, I saw that Bella was having a difficult day. Her hair was down and had become slightly wild, held back only by a small headband. Her face showed signs of internal frustration and there was an edge of worry present in her expression. The tiny furrow between her eyebrows failed to diminish even as she tried to smile at one of her customers. The man's thoughts were not complimentary and I wondered if I could have heard Bella's mind, would the feeling have been mutual.

With great effort I stayed in my car waiting to move forward and watching the minds nearby for even fleeting thoughts that focused on Bella. I could well remember the torment that high school had been for me while keeping an eye on her this way. I'd hung on every little thing that the minds of those around her had revealed to me and I'd constantly remained on guard to rush to her aid should the need arise.

Fifteen very long minutes passed until I was able to pull forward and watch on in awe while real-time caught up with one of Alice's visions. Despite all my doubts and fears, I finally found myself standing face to face with Bella once again. Smiling.

Watching her walk through the door, relief took over my whole face. The smile followed soon after. I attempted to stifle it, to control my enthusiasm, but found that I was lacking the ability to do so. I was mildly afraid that my unguarded moment and the glimpse of sharp teeth would frighten her, but she surprised me as usual.

Bella's face lit up too.

Looking into her deep brown eyes as she smiled back at me rendered me all but speechless. Her beauty was more than capable of stealing away my unnecessary breaths. Had I been able to fill my lungs with air at that moment, I would have welcomed the grating fire shooting down my throat. Thirst had no power over the look of joy on her face. It was angelic. Not even the monster inside me could diminish its light.

"Hi." Bella's simple greeting was soft and sweet.

"Hello, Bella."

"I thought you wouldn't come. I don't know why I did, but I'm really glad that I was wrong."

Her words surprised me, though they shouldn't have considering our short but tumultuous past and the sound of some of her dreams. How was she to know that nothing in the universe could have kept me away?

"Why would you think that I wouldn't be here? I keep my commitments," I answered, instead of professing my love for her.

To my dismay, she frowned. "Right. Just not your promises."

I winced at her words. As true as they were, they hurt. In my attempt to protect her from me and my world, I had broken her trust years ago. Of course her confidence in me was low.

"I'm sorry, Bella."

She looked up at me, seeming startled that I'd heard her. I realized I'd made a slip, answering her when I shouldn't have been able to hear her words had I been human.

After a moment, she shook her head and smiled softly. "No, I'm sorry. That was unkind of me... I shouldn't have said that."

It hurt me to hear her making exceptions for my behavior. She shouldn't have been apologizing; out of the two of us I was the one with several injustices to right.

"Bella? Don't apologize. You're right. I made you a promise that I couldn't keep and for that, I'm the one who is sorry."

She looked up at me and evaluated me for a moment.

"You're apologizing?" she asked.

"Yes, of course. I owe you that."

"Hmm. Are you apologizing then, for failing to keep your word? Or for giving it in the first place?" she asked raising one eyebrow.

My own forehead shot up in surprise. As I'd always known, Bella missed nothing. Not even how I'd qualified my words when I'd attempted an apology. Again, I found that there was only one option with her.

"Honestly?" I asked.

"That would be preferred. I told you once that I don't like lying."

I felt as though I'd painted myself into a corner, one that I was only now beginning to grasp the significance of. I still wasn't sure that I could do this, that I could be near without harming her. That I could be with her while she was human. That I could be with her and not lie to her. Honesty was just one issue among many that I faced when it came to Bella.

"I owe you an explanation, I know that. I realize that it's far overdue, but I'd like the chance to make things right."

Bella blinked once and then nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Okay," she whispered.

"Okay?"

"Yeah," she answered, with a shy smile.

My fingers twitched at my side. I couldn't help wanting to touch her, but I was greatly afraid of frightening her again. Instead I watched her eyes with hopeful wonder.

Her pupils grew wide and unfocused after a moment and I noted how her breath and heart rates began to increase. I looked down, distracted by the sound of her faster flowing blood which caused a slight clench in my stomach, echoing the thirst I fought continually when near her. I swallowed the venom easily, but chided myself for getting so lost in her gaze. I would have to be more fastidious until the time when I became more acclimated to being near Bella. If that day ever came.

Bella cleared her throat. "I suppose we should take care of your car at least. May I have your keys?" she asked quietly.

"Of course," I replied, careful to hand them to her without touching her this time, afraid that she would be repulsed and pull away as she did on Friday.

"Thanks. I just need to get the mileage and then I'll take it back."

"Sounds good, I can wait."

Bella nodded and I watched her as she got in my car and pulled away. Even though my throat burned at the thought, I said a silent thank you to the powers that be that Bella's heavenly scent would be something I could take with me.

I spent the next twenty minutes following Bella through the minds of those around her and watching her with my own eyes when I could from the waiting area in the lobby. I kept mindful of my human charade and was pleased that most of the other customers didn't give me a second look, while the staff was too busy to seriously contemplate what was different about me.

I had found the thoughts of the mechanic responsible for fixing my car quite easily when I caught the sight of Bella driving it into the service bay. She hardly left his side during the repair and did paperwork from a clipboard on her lap, making me wonder if she was now avoiding being in the lobby because of me. I frowned at the thought, confused. She hadn't seemed over eager to escape my presence when she took the keys.

Thinking through our entire interaction and analyzing every detail was the only thing keeping me in my seat while the incompetent mechanic fiddled with the engine in my S60 even though he was only meant to replace the hinge on fuel door cover. Rosalie was going to get pretty bent out of shape over this.

Bella only returned to the lobby twice while my car was being worked on, and the only reason she did was to help other customers. When she returned for the final time, the repair was complete. Bella waved me outside with a slight smile, but spoke not a word until she handed me the keys to my Volvo and a receipt for the service.

"All done," she said, smiling sweetly at me despite the slight waiver in her voice and the way her fingers were shaking.

"Thank you. Are you alright?" I asked, disappointed by the sudden onset of what I could only assume were her nerves.

"Mm hm," she said looking up to meet my eyes. "So, I guess you'll be going now." Her tone held a slight question.

Did she not want me to go then? _Edward… stay. _Her voice from last night echoed in my mind.

"Only if you want me to go, but… I believe that you wanted an explanation and a proper apology?" I inexplicably grinned at her.

She nodded, her brown eyes wide.

"What time are you finished here tonight?" I asked, feeling a bit apprehensive now. This was entirely new territory for me.

"Six. Well, we close at five-thirty, but there is always someone running late," she said, shrugging.

"It's almost five-thirty now, would you like me to wait? I could see you home, or maybe you'd like to have coffee?"

Bella's eyes got really big and she let out a small laugh before slapping her hand over her mouth. I quirked an eyebrow at her and was about to ask her what I'd said when a very loud thought interrupted me.

_WHAT THE HELL! _

_ No! No, no, no…Shit! Bella. Vampire. Bella. Need Sam & Jake. Bella._

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_**End Note:**_

_A review would be lovely.;-)_

_**EDIT::** 2/21/2011- Hop on over to my Facebook page and check out **the new album I posted with pictures of various elements from this story**. I have been told they really bring things to life. Enjoy!_

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	9. Chapter 8: Reunion & Revelation

_**A/N:** For the love of all that is holy, please increase the spacing on this chapter! FF keeps removing my formatting, so I apologize for the squished spacing. _

_This is a shorter chapter for me, but it is not a cliffie. ;-) Thank yous and more good stuff in the End Note. Happy Reading!_

**_Disclaimer: _****The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, July 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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**Chapter 8:**

"**Reunion and Revelation"**

I looked up sharply and felt my body immediately tense and ready every muscle for action. At the same time, my phone began vibrating in my pocket but I dared not pay it any attention. I took a breath to confirm my suspicions, but seeing myself in the mind of the large individual standing just twenty five feet behind Bella left little room for doubt concerning his identity.

He was a tall dark-skinned man, undeniably Quileute like his ancestors before him, and with the apparent ability to take on animal form just as they had. Though it wasn't shocking to see a Quileute here in general- I'd seen Seth Clearwater here on Friday- it never occurred to me that one of them would reacquire the wolf trait _**and**_ end up working as a mechanic under the same roof as Bella. Seth certainly hadn't left any lingering odor around the other day, so I never imagined this to be a possibility.

Upon seeing me, the Quileute froze and tensed. His thoughts throbbed with recognition and revulsion, along with fear for Bella's safety. The skin of his body and the hair on his head vibrated from the desire to take his animal shape, being close to losing control.

Inside of a second Bella took notice of my rigid posture and called out to me with evident concern in her voice and confusion on her face.

"Edward?" she asked before glancing behind her to see what I was staring at.

The wolf jerked a little as he saw her move, and I readied myself to come between them should he lose control. He was repeatedly chanting a manta of "keep it cool" in his head, fighting against his instinct to tear me limb from limb. I could see quite clearly in his mind that he had experience in doing exactly that.

Bella cursed under her breath upon spotting him, which pulled my attention towards her. I glanced down. There was recognition in her eyes and regret.

"I'm sorry, can you just wait one second? I need to talk to him." She turned her body to face this wolf-boy in front of us and I reached out and grabbed her hand as quickly and gently as I could to stop her.

"Bella wait," I begged her.

She turned back around to meet my eyes and there was an instant flow of sensation originating at the point where our hands connected. Despite the presence of my natural enemy, I found that I was having an unexpectedly vulnerable moment. My body was almost acting in a identical fashion to Bella's human one: pupils dilating, breath accelerating, hands trembling.

I was completely lost in the electricity between us until I heard another snarling thought and the voice that accompanied it.

"Don't touch her!"

Instinctively, and without care for the attention it may garner, I stepped around Bella at vampire speed and pulled her behind me. I had to let go of her hand but noticed with a thrill that she kept her hold on me, clutched onto my forearm, her small frame merely inches from my back.

I heard a low snarl from my challenger and then the sound of Bella's voice.

"Embry, no."

She peered out at him from over my shoulder, shaking her head. I noticed in his mind the silent plea in her eyes. He was instantly confused by her behavior and softened a bit in response.

"Bella?" he asked, looking to her for guidance and showing me so much of their relationship in his confusion.

They were friends, very good friends. There was a depth to it that shocked me. Embry, being much younger in years than in appearance, not only looked up to Bella but loved her completely. His love was strangely familial. Not just as a brother loves a sister, but as if he loved her on behalf of someone else. He also considered himself her protector and would gladly die for her now or in the future.

"Embry, it's okay," she pleaded from behind me, while I still struggled to understand the complexity of this relationship between the two of them.

Embry shook his head at Bella and then met my eyes. He sized me up and tried to determine how fast he could phase and get to my head if Bella was threatened by me. My instincts told me to growl at him, but he was just trying to protect the very same thing that I was. My only concern now was that he would lose control and hurt her accidentally because of my presence here.

I felt Bella's hand squeezing my arm and looked down at where she held onto me. She placed her other hand under my bicep and pulled at me fruitlessly. I glanced over, startled by her bold attempt and turned to face her just a bit, complying with her efforts to move me. I took note of how her cheeks flushed and her heart hammered away in her chest.

"It's okay. You can let me go." She pulled more forcefully on my arm.

"Bella, you don't understand. Please-"

"But I do. He won't hurt me. Or you." She looked pointedly at her friend.

My eyebrows shot up in disbelief just before the air in my lungs escaped me as Bella slid her hand down my arm, placing it inside my palm and squeezing. I was quite literally stunned from both surprise and the heat of her hand in mine. Alice's blip of a vision popped into mind and I looked down at our hands joined together.

"What the hell!" Embry shouted, taking two steps towards us.

Still stunned, I didn't move as Bella stepped around and stood in front of me.

"Embry, stop," she commanded, before reaching behind her back with one hand to make contact with the fabric of my shirt. The other hand she extended out in a gesture meant to stop the advance of a now furious Embry. Frozen in place, I did not fully comprehend the irony or absurdity of the situation until I saw it through his eyes.

Bella was trying to protect me.

Vampire and werewolf alike stood in complete disbelief. This tiny human should have been running in fear from one or both of us. Yet Bella remained both sure and calm. True, it was as useless as the flame of a candle attempting to remain steady in the face of a hurricane, but it was marvelous. It was also nothing I could have predicted. Moreover, I failed to understand the basis for Bella's inexplicable display, nor the range of emotions that it stirred.

She was protecting me.

_ WHAT THE EFF IS SHE DOING? How could she possibly want to protect him after everything she's been through?_

I looked up, locking eyes with Embry. A barrage of memories and a rush of thoughts from him suddenly told me that one of the things I feared most had already happened. Bella's fate was long ago inexorably sealed with my own.

She knew.

Bella knew.

Memories of Bella running and falling, fur exploding, teeth gnashing and the dismemberment of two crimson eyed vampires filled Embry's head. Another Quileute picking up a terrified and battered Bella, carrying her to safety, away from the purple plume of smoke behind them. Bella in a room surrounded by men looking much the same as Embry, her reddened eyes wide as they spoke to her.

"Bella, are you insane?"

"Embry, this is Edward Cullen. He's Dr. Cullen's son. You remember Dr. _Cullen... _and his _family?_"

A flash of awareness came over the boy's face and he looked intensely at my eyes, then at Bella and back again to me. His whole countenance changed when he recognized that I was one of the Cold Ones with whom his ancestors formed a treaty. For a brief moment he was relieved, until he began to think about what my presence here meant. In addition to his prior aggression, he also quickly became embittered against me.

His pack blamed my family for causing both the re-emergence of the wolf trait among the youth of the tribe, and the subsequent visits from nomadic vampires after our departure. His face darkened when he remembered how they'd had to protect their homes and families. He'd personally had a hand in ending at least two males, a third nomad, a red-haired female had gotten away.

Victoria.

It occurred to me that she was truly alone now, and explained why she may have been looking to make a new companion.

"Embry?" Bella asked, tentatively taking a step towards him. He was still teetering on the edge of control and I feared greatly for her safety.

"Bella, please," I whispered.

"I'm not going to hurt her, leech," Embry said with a low rumble evident in his voice. "Why are you even here?"

"He's getting his car fixed, Embry. What do you think?" Bella snapped, lowering her voice and looked around. "Now calm down, you can't do this here."

"No crap, B. Which is exactly why he shouldn't be here!" He pointed at me and scowled.

"I understand," Bella answered, softening towards him considerably. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "But there's no need to do anything stupid."

"Has he been around before?" he asked, glancing up at me.

"No," Bella answered.

"Good." He spoke directly to me. "Then he should be able to find somewhere else to get his car worked on in the future."

"Embry!"

"What? He's dangerous, Bella!"

"So are you," Bella snapped back.

"It's not the same," Embry hissed, his thoughts briefly touching on an unknown woman's face riddled with scars.

"That's enough. Please," I begged, taking a step towards Embry and Bella. I hoped that I wouldn't terrify her or provoke him, but I had to intervene.

"Your issue is with me, not Bella. I should not have allowed her to mediate between us. You have my apologies, Miss Swan." I bowed my head in the way men did in my day and continued.

Looking back at Embry, I continued. "This is an unexpected encounter, but I can assure you that neither my family nor I have deviated from our sworn agreement. As a matter of conscience, we maintain our way of life no matter where we go. There are issues to be discussed. However, like you, I do not have the freedom to speak for my family without their consent. Perhaps we should arrange a meeting?"

Embry looked at me warily. "I guess that would be… best. But, can we agree that you'll stay away from here from now on?"

"Embry!"

"No, it's okay, Bella. This is his place of work, his _territory,_ so to speak. That would be fair. For now," I said.

My next message was not meant for Bella's ears and though I hated to do it, I spoke too quietly or quickly for her to understand.

"Embry. My father will speak with one of your tribal elders immediately. There is the treaty to discuss, but there is more; something of some importance."

Embry considered my words, not sure whether he should trust me or not.

_Oh, for the love of all that is holy. What is going on out there? And she says Embry's not interested in her like that! How blind can one girl be?_

The thoughts of Bella's manager sobered me and I stepped back.

"Your boss is coming." I tilted my head towards the door.

Bella looked from the door to me to Embry and sighed. Embry straightened his posture, taking on a less aggressive stance, and stared at her.

"Play nice, Em." Bella muttered a warning under her breath as Jerry swung the door open.

"Hey kids. Sorry to crash the party, but Bella, I need you inside. Is there a problem with your car, Mr. Cullen?" Jerry pointed to the vehicle in question rather than meet my eyes. He was uncomfortable around me, and assumed that Bella may be as well, though she didn't seem to be in his appraisal.

"No sir. I was just complimenting your staff on their efficiency and knowledge. Embry and I were talking shop. He's quite the mechanic. I'm sorry to have kept them from their work." I lied without flaw and intentionally used a tone that I knew to be persuasive.

"Oh. Of course. That's not a problem, it's just the end of the day and we have some anxious people who would like their cars back," Jerry answered, suggesting that it was not the appropriate time for talking without coming out and telling me so.

"Actually, Jerry? Embry here was just telling me that he's free and wondered if there was anything he could do to help the rest of us get out of here on time tonight. Weren't you Em?" Bella spoke up suddenly. Her brazen lie both surprised and impressed me.

"Bella…" Embry grumbled and scowled at her a moment before noticing his boss smiling up at him.

"Is that right?" Jerry looked up at the large mechanic who towered over him but looked uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Uh, I…" In Embry's discomfort, he was unable to call Bella out on her bluff, or say what he really wanted to say to me. He didn't know that I'd already caught the full text of his warning when he'd thought it.

"Always modest." Jerry slapped him on the shoulder and turned to Bella. "You need to get inside and get these people out of here Bella; I'll take Embry around and get him to work where I need him." He looked at me. "Mr. Cullen, thank you for bringing your vehicle in. I hope we'll see you again for service soon, unfortunately we have a job to finish." He made an attempt at a smile and I nodded politely as he retreated to the service garage with a reluctant Embry in tow.

The phrase "if looks could kill" came to mind. I was also fairly certain that look was just as much for Bella as it was for me.

When I turned my attention back to Bella, I was still stunned by the revelations that came to light only moments ago. She smiled up at me shyly and sighed. Her eyes fluttered closed and I lamented at the loss, having no idea what she was thinking.

"So…" she said when she opened her eyes again.

"How long?" I asked, unable to stop the words from rushing out.

"How long?" she repeated, confused.

"Have you known. How long have you known?" I asked, my face falling in shame because she knew what a monster I was. She must have. The Quileutes were not our biggest supporters.

"Oh. I…um…" Bella bit down on her lip and quirked her head towards the lobby. "I have to go. I'm sorry. You… you should probably go too."

Her refusal to answer hurt me like an Emmett-sized punch to the stomach. She was sending me away. I had so many questions, so many things I wanted to talk to her about, and I wouldn't get the chance. I should have expected it. Our situation was far too complicated to hope that a simple talk would make a difference anyway.

"Of course," I answered, giving a perfect performance. "If you wish me to go, I will."

"I… It would be best if you did," she said, her face unreadable, her eyes downcast.

"Yes, I suppose it would be best," I conceded, feeling as though my already dead heart might fracture. "Goodbye, Bella."

Bella nodded and backed into the lobby, giving me only a small nod before she turned away completely.

I stood still for a moment watching her, confused and grieved. Retreating to my car, I left the dealership and Bella behind me, unsure of what I should do next or where I should go.

I couldn't just leave Bella here. Victoria was still a threat and Embry seemed to be alone. His panicked thoughts when he saw me told me it would take the rest of the pack over an hour to get here once he phased.

I was beyond reeling. I had hoped that I would be able to end my peeping tom routine of the last two nights and spend this evening in Bella's company instead. Now that she'd sent me away, I would have no choice but to stay nearby unbeknownst to her. Of course, I'd also have to consider the added complication of her werewolf friends.

With that thought, I picked up the phone and called Carlisle while I drove aimlessly though the city streets. Waiting for the call to connect, I felt bad for not calling Alice first; she must have called ten times while I faced off with Embry. But surely she had to have seen some of what had just happened.

"Edward," Carlisle answered, sounding concerned.

"Hi, Carlisle. I have some news."

"Is everything alright? Did things with Bella-"

"Bella is well, she's safe. Our meeting was very illuminating. One of her co-workers is Quileute, Carlisle." I got right to the point, assuming he knew anyway if Alice was home.

"You're kidding?"

"No. He's young, one of their youth… and a werewolf."

There was silence on the other end, while I imagined my father thinking through my revelation and comparing it to the catalogue of knowledge in his mind.

"Are you certain?" he asked, pausing only for a moment. "Of course you are. I'm just surprised. We saw no evidence of their presence during our most recent stay in Forks. That was less than five years ago."

"I know, but they have a fairly large pack now. And at least one of them is living in Seattle. A concern only second to the fact that they've had some trouble with nomads passing through their territory, including the same one that Alice saw causing trouble. If you can call murdering innocent children trouble."

"Victoria?"

"Yes. You will need to contact the tribe elders immediately. I was unable to warn him that she was in town making new vampires. But there's something else you should know when you speak to them, Carlisle."

"What is it?" he asked.

"The new pack has a strong animosity towards our family personally. They blame us for the problems they've had ever since we left Forks."

"That's unfair. I'm sure that we could reason with them, renew our commitment to the treaty even in our absence. Perhaps the warning about Victoria will be enough to assure them that we remain committed to the pact," Carlisle interjected.

"I gave my word that we'd maintained our end of the agreement, but my assurances were met with distrust. I have a feeling that the younger generation wouldn't think twice about ending the treaty altogether."

"They couldn't want that," Carlisle said, in disbelief.

"They've already broken it, Carlisle."

"What do you mean?"

"Bella knows."

"Bella Swan knows? What we are?" I heard the gasps behind him, he wasn't alone.

"Yes," I answered, feeling almost nauseated at the admission. Did a wave of revulsion originating from my gut and rising to my mouth count as nausea?

"And the Quileutes told her?"

"Yes. They told her everything. There's much more to the story than what I got, but the bottom line is that one of their young men phased in front of her and they gave her full disclosure after that."

Carlisle was silent. I could hear other members of my family murmuring in the background. I was fairly certain that Alice was with him now. I wondered what she had seen today.

"Her mind is still silent to you though, is it not? Are you certain she knows about us, or is her knowledge limited to the existence of vampires in general?"

"She knows, Carlisle. She reminded the mutt of the treaty. She mentioned you by name. She knows."

There was a pause before his next question. "Was she… fearful of you?"

I almost laughed.

"No. She…" I thought back to our interaction at the dealership. "She seemed pleased to see me but was nervous, and then when the Quileute showed up, she lost all traces of fear and tried to intervene."

"What do you mean she tried to intervene? Was there a confrontation? Was the girl injured?"

"No! No. The boy is her friend. He was startled to see me, and when he saw me in close proximity to Bella, he panicked and reacted aggressively. Bella seemed to recognize that he was close to losing control and talked him down. It was quite impressive really, if not unsettling that she knew how to do that."

Carlisle was quiet again, and I knew he was trying to decide how best to handle this new information. His next words surprised me.

"I should hope that Bella is being protected by the tribe. Do they take responsibility for her now that they've exposed her to the dangers of our world?" He sounded almost angry and I smiled at how alike we were. I was angry about that as well.

"I'm not certain, Carlisle. We weren't able to speak freely, but I could tell the mutt I met today would die to protect Bella. He loves her like family. His primary thoughts were getting between us and taking my head off before I could hurt her."

"Well, that's reassuring." He chuckled once, a dark sarcastic sound that was out of character for him. "I am not happy about this, son. But… I can only imagine how you are feeling after all you've gone through to keep her safe from this very thing," he said, his tone full of remorse.

"I can't really think about that right now. She asked me to leave so-"

The call waiting on my phone beeped in my ear.

"Edward?"

"Just a moment, Carlisle. Can I call you back?" I asked, checking the number on the screen.

"Of course. Your sister is anxious to talk you, though. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything's fine. I'll call you back later. Tell Alice I'm fine and thank her for trying to warn me. Contact the Quileutes."

I pressed the send button, both ending the call with my father and answering the new call.

"Hello?" I answered softly.

"Um, Edward?"

I let out a rush of air that it was really her. "Bella?"

"Hi. I'm sorry about before. I just… well, I needed you to go. And I needed Embry to hear me send you away. And… I'm sorry if I was rude."

I took a full second to comprehend what she was telling me.

"You weren't rude, Bella."

"No, I was. You asked me a question, and I ignored you, and then I practically pushed you out the door. That's rude," she argued.

"Well if that's the case, it only makes us even," I sighed.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. I do have questions for you though, and I'd like to answer yours as well," she said sounding uncertain.

"Ask away," I told her, pulling the car over and finding a place to park while we spoke.

"Um, okay. Did you want to…? I mean… Could we possibly…" She trailed off and I could hear her unsteady breathing through the phone. She seemed more nervous than was necessary, though I couldn't imagine why when I wasn't anywhere near her. Realizing just how far from her I'd wandered caused a wave of fear to come over me.

"Bella, where are you?" I asked suddenly, putting the car back into drive and turning the wheel.

"Uh… At work."

"Is Embry there with you now?"

"No! No, he went home when he was sure you were gone. I told him I had paperwork so he'd leave me alone. Not that he won't check up on me later, but he's gone for now."

"You're alone?"

"Not entirely. The janitor is still here, and the sales department is open until-"

"Bella, may I escort you home? I know it's forward of me to ask, and perhaps you think I'm crazy given what you know about me, but I'd like to have this conversation face to face," I asked, feeling extremely anxious that she was unprotected.

"Me too," she said, letting out a breath. "I'd rather not go home just yet though. Could we go somewhere to talk?"

"We can go anywhere you want to Bella. I'll be there in three minutes," I answered.

"Okay." I heard her laugh lightly and then pause. "Oh, wait. You shouldn't come back here, let me meet you."

"Sneaking around, are we?" The comment out there before I could stop myself.

Bella snorted. "No. I just don't want anybody to get hurt on my account."

I sighed, thinking she was the one who would likely be injured in that scenario. "Bella…"

"Yes?"

"You shouldn't go anywhere with me. I'm not safe for you. You do know that, don't you?" I asked. True it was safer for her to be with me than alone in Seattle tonight, but even then I was possibly more dangerous to her than any other vampire on the planet. She had no idea how much a part of me longed to consume her.

She didn't answer right away, but I heard her breathing softly into the phone and a tapping noise that I assumed was her fingernail or a pen hitting the desk.

"I know that you _could _be dangerous to me. I know that you could quite easily kill me and I would never even know what happened." I cringed at the truth of her words and the ache in my throat flickered to a slow burn at the image they conjured. I involuntarily thought of the first time I'd imagined her death at my hands in a classroom in Forks. I would have slaughtered a room full of children just to get to her blood.

Bella's voice broke through the horror. "But, I don't think you want to. I feel it in my… my gut. My instincts tell me that you wouldn't hurt me."

I laughed without humor. "There is something seriously wrong with your instincts, Bella."

She sighed. "I believe I have heard that somewhere before."

She was quiet a moment and I was replaying the only other conversation I'd ever had with her in my head. I'd said those exact words to her once before.

"So, do you _not_ want me to go anywhere with you then?" she asked, demanding and sounding slightly irritated.

"I said that you shouldn't go anywhere with me, not that I didn't want you to," I answered feeling confused.

"Okay," she answered, the annoyance gone from her voice. "Where? When?"

I pulled in front of the Volvo dealership and spotted Bella through the glass. I wasn't sure if I what I was about to do was very wise, but I would try my hardest for her. If not breathing for as long as I was in the car with her meant that I could keep Bella safe and near to me, then I would do it gladly.

"Bella, look up."

She did, catching sight of my car just as I turned into the driveway. Her eyes grew wide and I heard her inhale.

"Would now be a good time?" I asked, my breath half caught in my throat anticipating her reaction.

I stopped in the drive and opened the driver's door, waving the phone at her as I ended the call. To my delight, she waved back and smiled as she shook her head and returned the handset of her desk phone to the cradle.

I approached the doors to greet her, but she held up a finger to indicate that I should wait for her. Bella stood and disappeared further into the building before I heard a door open and what sounded like metal lockers opening, then water running. She reappeared and pulled on a purple and black jacket with an embroidered "W" over the breast pocket, carrying a small messenger bag at her side.

As she emerged from the door she smiled softly. I offered to take her bag and walked her to the car, opening the passenger door for her.

"Thank you. You didn't have to do that," she said, looking at her hands.

I smelled the mint on her breath and the moisture on her skin telling me she'd washed her face. Had I never noticed before that she wore no make-up? Her eyelashes were bare, but long enough to give the impression many women sought out with mascara, and her skin was almost flawless and needed no artificial enhancement. I marveled that the beautiful color coming from her mouth and cheeks was entirely natural. The only exception was a shimmer of what smelled to be a beeswax lip balm infused with coconut oil on her lips. How could Rosalie, or anyone for that matter, possibly think her plain and ordinary?

When I stopped staring at her lips, which to me felt as though I had been doing so for an eternity but had probably only been a split second to her, I answered. "You're welcome. I'm just glad that you're not running away screaming."

"Yet," Bella said.

I looked down at her, my eyes widening in surprise at her completely serious tone. As she took in my reaction, she quirked an eyebrow and broke into a mischievous smile.

"Kidding." She started to laugh silently, her shoulders shaking in a vain attempt to hold it in. I shook my head and smiled down at her as I shut the door. This girl was going to be the death of me.

"Get in the car, Bella."

We drove away from the dealership and a silence that was neither uncomfortable, nor overtly charged, filled the space between us. Bella seemed acutely aware of my presence, but stayed relaxed. I could feel her every movement, even her pulse vibrated through me, but I remained calm and above temptation.

For the first time in my existence I felt free from the chains of my human charade. I didn't have to hide or worry that she would sense the otherness radiating off of me. It left me feeling both vulnerable and strangely empowered at the same time.

The precipice I now found myself upon was a razor's edge, and the worst part was that I no longer stood on it alone.

The risks to both of us were unfathomable. Bella now had the power to make me stronger, or tear me apart. In her, I could gain more than I ever thought possible or lose everything.

I couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like to interact with a human who knew what I was, or even what it would be like to be fully known by someone outside of my family. It was intimidating, yet fantastic to think of letting Bella see me as I am, and for her to know what I am not.

Would I have to be even more careful not to frighten her than I would have been if she didn't know? It looked to me as though the last vampire she'd come in contact with had nearly killed her.

Why wasn't she terrified of me? What drove her to tolerate being near me?

That was the question that gnawed at me the most. Bella knew I was a vampire. She knew that my family was different from the red-eyed predators that had tried to end her and terrorize her friends, but she had to be well aware that we were capable of the same thing. The Quileutes had to have made it clear to her that they didn't trust us.

Yet here she sat. In a small car. With a vampire. With me.

What drove her to trust me? What drove her to dream of me? Was it that I'd saved her life once before? Had she felt the need to repay the debt by trying to keep Embry from taking me apart, or was it something more? What had driven her to risk herself for a soulless monster like me?

I decided then and there that I would spend the rest of my life trying to learn what drove Bella Swan.

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**_End Note:_**

_*le sigh* So, where will they go now? _

_I would really love to hear if this was what you expected.  
If you are of the inclination to review, please let me know what you loved, what you hated, what you think will happen next. I do so love hearing your ideas._

_Also, if you are interested in the outtake challenge, be sure to review and place your vote. So far, Jessica's story and Emmett's are neck in neck. (Although, I think Emmett may have a firm advantage over Jess when it comes to necks. Hmmm...)_

Last, but by no means least: Many, many thanks to **Essay33 **for getting her computer back and getting two chapters beta'd for me in the same week! WOW! Thank you tons!  
**Morgan**- You made this chapter happen for me. I felt like I would never get here, but you hung in there through all the drafts I sent you and I thank you!

Hugs to All! Ginnie


	10. Chapter 9: Riding In My Car

**_Disclaimer: _****The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, May 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**_Epic Author's Note at the end! :-)_  
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**Chapter 9: **

"**Riding in My Car"**

"Where would you like to go? Lady's choice," I said, offering Bella a small smile as the Volvo pulled away from her place of employment for the second time today.

She turned to me and met my gaze with her large brown eyes. "I honestly don't know."

"Have you had dinner? I could take you out," I offered.

A doubtful look crossed her face. "How would that work exactly? I eat, you watch? Or do you eat normal food too?" She quirked her head to the side, an expression of genuine curiosity coming over her.

Amazing. We were just going to jump right into a conversation and pretend it wasn't strange that she knew I was a vampire and was asking about my diet. I chuckled and gave her a sideways smile.

"Well, I can eat if absolutely necessary. But it's not pleasant, and we can't actually digest the food, so as a rule we usually avoid eating at all costs."

"Won't that be weird for you, then?" she asked, again cool and collected, as though she were completely unphased that we were having this rather bizarre conversation.

"Not at all, Bella. It would be an honor to escort you to dinner. I have been to high school a handful of times… I can pretend with the best of 'em," I said, winking at her overconfidently.

When Bella's heart rate accelerated and her pupils dilated, I realized I may have overdone it. Her eyes went completely unfocused and her breath became both shaky and fast. I hadn't meant to use the full complement of my now unnecessary diversionary tactics with her.

Being able to elicit that kind of response came in handy when I needed to deceive, coerce, or lead astray in order to protect the family and our way of life. But seeing such a reaction from Bella was unsettling. I didn't want to manipulate Bella or take advantage of her humanity and my vampiric nature.

I straightened my expression to a more neutral one and reassured her. "I don't mind, Bella. You need to eat, and I'd really like to take you out."

"Out? Like out… how?" she asked, staring at me in what appeared to be disbelief. Or awe. I wasn't sure which.

"Out to dinner? Or coffee? Just out. What do you normally eat this time of the day, or evening as it were?" I asked, having no idea how to react to her question.

"I… Well… I sort of… Um..." She turned in her seat, tucking one leg under her so that she was facing me. "The thing is, I sort of swore off dating supernatural creatures a while back. And maybe I'm making a complete ass out of myself here, but the way you say 'out' and 'dinner' makes it sound… um, significant?" she said with a question in her tone over her choice of words. "So, could we just start by taking a drive? You know… Just drive and talk?"

I blinked at her, to hide the unearthly stillness that came over me when she used the word _dating_. I'd frozen completely for a third of a second. I moved now only because I didn't want her to think that she was making a horse's rear out of herself, as she'd put it. She wasn't. In fact, she was right on the money. My words were significant… to me. I just hadn't anticipated her picking up on that. Nor was I expecting to be grouped in some vague category that sounded like it belonged on Wikipedia rather than a real life conversation.

Had she really just called me a supernatural _creature_? And were there that many of them in her life that she needed some sort of oath to avoid becoming involved romantically? How involved had she been? And with whom? My insides rolled in a sensation similar to nausea for the second time in an hour. I chose to leave her behind so that she could be free of such things.

"Just a drive?" I asked, needing another moment.

"If that's okay," she answered.

I thought about her actual request for a brief moment. A drive. Talking. Alone. No witnesses.

Her logic astounded me. She wouldn't go out on a date a vampire, but she'd get into a small car and ride to her potential doom with one. She had no fear of being alone with me simply because I could kill her, but she did fear being alone with me in a way that might communicate there were romantic intentions between us.

During the time of my human life, an unaccompanied drive together would have done exactly that. For Bella with her understanding of modern day conventions, the difference between outings that communicated intent and ones that did not was somewhat obscure. I'd seen it play out over and over in the minds of high school and college students. A couple making plans, one thinking it's a date, the other thinking it is not, both unsure where they stand with the other.

That was not something I wished to duplicate with Bella. I wanted her to be certain of my feelings for her and earn her trust. I had no desire to see her socially, or flaunt her on my arm about town. I wanted to win her heart. And I didn't need to date her to do that.

Bella had probably never been courted. Had I met her when I was still human I would have courted her. I felt certain I could manage to do that without breaking her rules, or skipping over necessary conversations.

Unfortunately, if I was going to court her, a drive alone together really was too intimate. Not to mention potentially hazardous to her health. I answered her without considering how she would interpret my words.

"I don't know if it's such a good idea."

"Oh," she said quickly, facing the window.

She sounded disappointed and from the corner of my eye I saw her teeth pressing into her bottom lip. Despite the fact that she was well aware I could be dangerous, she'd obviously misunderstood my warning as simple rejection. Realizing my mistake, I looked for the best way to explain.

_You see Bella, it's not a good idea because I want to drink your blood. Badly. But I love you, and I want to woo you properly, so I won't take the chance. _

I smiled to myself. I couldn't very well say that.

"It's just that I'm not certain that I should," I said instead. She turned her head back to me cautiously, so I clarified. "It's somewhat difficult for me."

There. That was honest and covered both my current dilemmas; my thirst and my plan to win her affections. The admission hung in the air while I waited for Bella's response, and weighed the risks of being in an enclosed space with her for an extended period.

If she was truly hurt and disappointed, I would likely agree to her wishes. Unfortunately, I would need air to talk to her while we drove and that air that would be saturated with the aroma of her siren-like blood. The thought alone caused my burning thirst to increase threefold. There was only one way to know for sure if I could do what she asked of me, but was it worth the hazard to her? What if my control faltered for even a moment? God, how I wished that Alice could see Bella's future clearly.

And somehow, like the psychic she was, she sent a test message at that exact moment.

_You'll be fine.  
Turn the heater on for her if you  
decide to open the windows.  
And be honest with her, Edward.  
COMPLETELY HONEST_

"Alice," I explained when I noticed Bella watching me.

"Oh," she said again. She continued to sit silently, observing me. What was she seeing as she regarded me? I had to know.

"Can you tell me what you're thinking, please?" I asked, looking directly at her and using my most persuasive voice.

Her heart rate increased and her breathing hitched at the sound of my voice. She turned her gaze from me and I worried whether she'd had a moment of lucidity that told her to run away.

"Bella?" I asked, impatient for her to speak.

"I keep thinking this isn't real. That you'll disappear," she whispered.

"You're worried that I'm not real? Or that I am real, but I'll vanish?"

"I don't know. Both? Mostly the latter," she answered, swallowing.

"I'm real, Bella. And I want very much to be here," I said with complete sincerity.

To prove my point, even if only to myself, I inhaled.

And I burned.

The sensation was excruciating this time, the equivalent of shards of glass soaked in hydrochloric acid scraping down my esophagus. It burned, and cut, and throbbed all in one. I placed a firm grip on the steering wheel and battled against the instinct driven physical response in my muscles, muscles that longed to spring towards the source of the scent permeating the air.

I didn't notice right away how Bella stiffened and tilted her head towards me slightly, watching me from the corner of her eye. She sat up taller and stared out the windshield. I could tell she was trying to say something by the way her mouth opened and closed slightly.

"Why?" she finally asked. "Why do you want to be here? I can't understand that, Edward. Why you're here… Why you don't seem freaked out by it… or pissed off like you used to be. And what's with your brother calling up about a bogus thing like a fuel door hinge and then _accidentally_ giving me the wrong phone number?"

I sighed. I'd known that was going to be a difficult thing to explain. At least without her thinking I was insane on top of everything else.

"Honestly?" I asked.

"That would be preferred," she said.

"Okay then. I'm here because I ordered a new car from Sweden on a whim and when I finally picked it at the dealership sixteen days ago it had been driven by the most incredible smelling human being I've even known, and I've been unable to stop thinking about her since then."

Bella looked at me like I was insane, just as I feared she would.

"I've been unable to stop thinking about _you_, Bella. I'm not freaked out by it, as you put it, because I've known for a long time that the way I treated you, the way that I left things in Forks, was reprehensible. You have no idea how it's tortured me," I said, my voice faltering slightly.

After staring for a long moment with an almost vacant expression, Bella's eyes glistened as she spoke. "I may know a thing or two about being haunted by the past, Edward."

"I guess you do," I agreed. "How long have you known... what it is that you know?" I asked, unable to be more specific.

Perhaps it was that I was ashamed to be a vampire when it required me to fight tooth and nail against my natural instincts just to have her here near me. Perhaps I'd refused to say the word out loud because it was simply routine for me to refuse admitting or confirming that I was a vampire.

Bella's mischievous smile made a unexpected reappearance. "What I know?" she said, mocking me. "What? That you're a vampire? Or that Emmett's phone call was some kind of set-up? 'Cause I figured that out around the time you rolled up outside the service bay in your fancy car."

I chuckled. "How long have you known what I am?"

"It's okay, Edward. You can say it. The word 'vampire' doesn't scare me like it used to. It doesn't make you any scarier, either. It just makes you honest. I'd like you to be honest with me."

"As I will be," I pledged.

She narrowed her eyes. "We'll see…"

"Bella. How long?" I asked, feeling that she was purposefully stalling.

She let out a long breath. "Five years. Since right after you left Forks."

I stared at her, the memory of a thousand conversations with my family, both over the phone and in person, regarding Bella Swan ran through my mind. I knew they'd never suspected that she knew. I knew that if they'd known for certain that she did, she probably wouldn't be sitting here right now. At least she wouldn't be sitting here with her heart still beating. I pushed that thought aside and found my voice.

"No. No, that can't be right. Are you being serious?" I asked, completely dumbfounded.

"Yeah, I am," Bella said. She sounded a little defensive.

"How?"

She knew what I was asking.

"Um… I went on this little trip to First Beach with some of the kids from our junior class. It was about a week or so after you supposedly left for boarding school in Europe, and I was… not very happy. Okay. I was pretty pissed off, to be honest," she laughed lightly. "Anyway, I guess it was obvious because Lauren Mallory made this snide remark about wishing that you were still around. One of the local Quileute boys overheard her say 'Cullen' and he made some comment about your whole family. I ran into an old family friend from La Push that day and got him to tell me what they meant by it."

"And what did he tell you?" I asked. I had to hide my shock at hearing her story and force myself to act like I had no foreknowledge of her almost-death at the hands of a couple of wandering nomads.

"Jake told me a bunch of the old tribal legends, but there was one about your family specifically. He didn't even believe it himself at the time, and nothing I researched about vampires after that matched what I'd observed at school anyway. So despite the scary stories, it was nothing more than a theory for a few weeks."

Jake. Same Jake from last night? Between his loose tongue and Bella mumbling his name in her sleep, I was fairly certain I didn't like this guy very much already.

"What happened to make you believe?" I asked.

Bella laughed and her cheeks tinted with just the slightest blush. "Alice was actually the reason I truly started believing in vampires. She reached out to keep me from falling at school one day. When she did, I noticed two things. First, her hands were ice cold and really hard. And second, she knocked your brother Emmett out of the way to get to me. I mean, he was sitting on his butt three feet away when she let go of me."

I stiffened and ground my teeth together in irritation. What else had gone on after I left Forks?

"He went down hard too. I knew there was no way that a normal girl Alice's size could knock down a guy like Emmett. Given that and how cold her skin was, the stories about the 'Cold Ones' didn't seem so off anymore. Oh, and Rosalie is freakin' scary. I'm sorry, but she is. She's inhumanly beautiful, eerily perfect, and just plain scary."

"You've got to be kidding me?" I muttered so lowly, I doubted Bella heard anything. I was equal parts horrified, stunned and, slightly amused; especially at her description of Rosalie. Bella had figured it out on her own. It had nothing to do with the attack I'd seen in Embry's mind. She knew about us before she knew about the wolves. And my sisters were almost as culpable as I was.

"Are you mad?" she asked timidly.

"About what?"

"Just mad," she said, her voice very small, her eyes trained forward.

I sighed. Truthfully, I was furious. But not at her. And not for the reasons she was probably imagining.

"I'm not mad at _you._ None of this was your fault. From day one," I said.

"Speaking of day one," Bella said after a moment of thought. "Now that there are no secrets between us, will you explain something to me?"

I sighed.

"I can try, Bella. But I wouldn't say there were no secrets between us. Though I would very much like that to be the case."

"Me too," she admitted. "But will you try?"

"What was your question?" I asked.

"That first day… in Forks? Why did you… What happened in biology?"

"Ah, of course. You really aren't choosing the easiest questions for me, you know?" I said, trying to decide how best to answer.

"Who said I would? Besides, what exactly would you classify as an easy question?" she challenged.

"Well, you could ask about the superhuman strength and speed you witnessed. Or you could ask if I turn into a bat, or sleep in a coffin. Or there is always the most basic question."

"And what's that?" she asked, amused.

I chuckled at her despite the lack of humor I felt about the topic I was about to bring up.

"Ask me what we eat, Bella."

She looked at me with her eyebrows raised and then as if on cue, her stomach growled loudly. She laughed and blushed, which caused my own stomach to react to the reminder of her delectable blood.

"I kinda thought that your diet was common knowledge," she said when her embarrassment ebbed. "And in case you weren't aware, it's also the subject of a lot of discussion and debate in La Push."

Of course it was. Her stomach rumbled again.

"Bella, will you reconsider allowing me to get you something to eat? Humans usually eat in the evening and providing you dinner would mean a lot to me."

Even though her body had betrayed her loudly, she seemed surprised. She narrowed her eyes and chewed on her lip as she thought about it.

"Will you answer the rest of my questions? Even the hard ones?" she asked, naming her terms.

"I'll be happy to answer any questions you have if you'll eat first."

Bella agreed by nodding with a small smile before her eyes shifted from my face to just over my shoulder. Her head whipped around to look out the windshield almost immediately and she gasped.

"Holy Crow! Slow down! And look where you're going!" she shouted at me.

Of all the things she could be freaking out over, she chose my driving.

"Bella. My vision is much better than yours. Really. Even looking right at you, I can still see everything on the road in alarming detail."

"But you're not the only one on the road, are you? Are you trying to get me killed?" she continued to yell. I rolled my eyes at her hysterics, though I was offended she would think I would endanger her.

"I'm not going that fast Bella. It's alright, I have it on good authority that you're quite safe with me."

She glanced at the speedometer and then back outside. I hadn't quite broken one hundred miles per hour.

"Edward. Do you see those fuzzy rectangles blurring by outside the windows? That is the flow of traffic, and you're flying by it at warp speed. Slow. Down."

I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled over at seeing her panicked rage. It seemed Bella had a bit of a temper. I found it quite hysterical considering how delicate she was. It was like one of those Disney shorts from the nineteen-fifties with the tiny bumble bee that grows infuriated with Donald Duck and starts shaking its fist, while cursing at the animated waterfowl in a squeaky voice. Bella being the tiny red-faced bumble bee of course, and lacking even a stinger to fight back with.

As amusing as I found her, I didn't want Bella upset or frightened any more than I wanted to tear off my own arm, so I lifted my foot from the accelerator.

"Bella, love, calm down please. I've never had an accident or even a ticket," I said, trying to soothe her.

She looked up at me, her breathing fast and her eyes wider than I'd seen them before. "Edward, please? If you slow down, I swear you can take me to dinner. Tonight, or any other night you like. Just stop messing around."

The car had already slowed to eighty five, but apparently that wasn't enough to calm her. I tapped the brake gently and moved into the right lane. I hated the right lane.

"Is that better?"

She closed her eyes tightly and nodded.

"Yes. Thank you." She was visibly shaken, and I realized that I had no idea whether or not Bella had an actual reason to be so fearful of driving at higher speeds. Perhaps she'd been in an accident. I felt horrible not knowing what had frightened her so much, or that I hadn't taken it more seriously.

"I'm sorry I frightened you. I wasn't trying to. Speed isn't something I think about often. I can run faster than this. Are you alright?" I asked in my gentlest voice. It was so very odd to be myself with her; to be honest about habits like driving or running.

Bella nodded and peaked up at me before lowering her eyes to the floor.

"Yeah. I'm okay. I was raised to obey traffic laws and speed limits for a reason. My dad has seen some pretty horrendous things thanks to all the rain they get in Forks. I guess it's pretty ingrained now."

"I'm sorry, Bella. It wasn't intentional in any way. Nor was it meant to coerce you into letting me take you out to dinner. Please feel free to rescind your offer," I said, honestly remorseful.

Bella looked up and blushed. "No. No, it's okay. I just… I work around cars, and I know a little bit about them, but no one I know actually has a car that can go quite that fast. Nor would they attempt it if they did. Well, maybe some of them would… but not me. Sorry."

"No need to apologize. I'm sorry for-"

"Dinner would be nice though. I guess I am a little hungry," she added unexpectedly, ignoring my further apologies.

A small smile crossed my face.

"But, Edward? We should talk first, because I'm not sure that it would be such a good idea in a crowded restaurant."

"I understand what you mean. But I'm sure we can manage to find somewhere with a semi private table and no crowd. I have questions for you too," I said, giving her a grin.

"Or we could get something to go. There's a Panera Bread… Um, where are we exactly?" she asked, looking around.

"We just passed SeaTac. Nice try by the way. Very smooth change of subject," I said with mock praise.

"Ha ha. I was being serious though. I don't mind eating something quick."

"I'm not getting you fast food, Bella."

"Fine. How about three more questions each, and then we can worry about dine-in or carry-out?" she offered.

I smiled at her tenacity. "Two might be more acceptable. Who goes first?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ladies first, of course," she said.

"Very well. Two questions each and, by all means, ladies first." I grinned back with a crooked smile.

Her heart rate picked up considerably again. When she shook her head and smiled to herself it occurred to me that there was a pattern there. The way she responded to my smile made me feel surprisingly hopeful. If my own heart could have a similar reaction, I knew her smile would cause it.

"Alright. My earlier question still stands. About that day in biology? I thought… well, it doesn't matter now, I guess. Just tell me what happened?" she asked softly.

I paused a moment, gathering my courage. I hated the prospect of frightening her and the answer to this question certainly had that potential.

"It was your scent, Bella. I hadn't noticed it in the cafeteria, but then you walked into that tiny classroom and I was overwhelmed… struggling to stay in control," I said, lacking better words.

"You said something about my scent before… What does that mean? Is that what you were talking about when you said that this…" She gestured indicating both the car and the two of us. "That it was difficult for you?"

"Perhaps it would be easiest to explain the basics first," I said, changing tactics. "You see, vampires don't get hungry, Bella. We get thirsty." It was the simple answer, allowing her to draw the conclusions.

"Thirsty," she whispered. "For… bluh-" She swallowed hard and when I met her eyes, she looked down quickly, embarrassed. "Sorry."

"It's okay. You're right to be upset by it. It's horrific. I wanted to hurt you because of it. I am a monster, Bella."

"No! Don't say that, please. It's just me. I have thing with blood."

I quirked an eyebrow at her. "She says to the vampire."

Bella laughed quietly and shook her head. I continued with my explanation, vowing to return at some point to her issues with my only source of nutrition.

"My family and I… we exist differently from others of our kind, but we are essentially the same as they are when it comes to what our bodies crave. We desire blood. We have simply chosen to resist, to live a more humane existence. It's not always easy."

Bella was staring up at me when I finished speaking, her eyes probing, as though she were trying to focus on something just out of sight.

"You are _not_ the same as the others. I don't believe that. No one can choose what they are, but they can choose what they do with it. And you have." Her tone was almost indignant. Like she'd made this argument a hundred times and was tired of it.

I couldn't understand what she was thinking and it felt like she obviously hadn't heard what I'd said. I began to open my mouth to tell her how very wrong she was, but she moved on with her line of questioning.

"So when you get thirsty what happens? Are you thirsty a lot?" she asked.

I answered carefully, but with as much honesty as I thought she could take.

"This might be upsetting, Bella. Are you sure you want to know?" I asked, hesitant to say anything that would be too much for her. She'd already admitted to being squeamish about blood.

"It's okay. I've been told that I'm good with weird," she answered, shrugging.

I nodded once. "For my kind, thirst is always present in one way or another. Most of the time it's manageable for us, perhaps not much more than a dry ache in the back of the throat; not unlike the feeling of being parched. There are times however, when we've gone too long without feeding… or when a certain scent hits us in a concentrated dose. Then the burn becomes more intense, painful even."

"Like the day we met," she said. Her voice was but a murmur.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't know."

I looked at her, incredulous. "Why are you apologizing?"

"You were in pain. I thought it was something else," she said sounding guilty.

"Don't you dare apologize to me. It_ was_ something else! You have no idea how close it came, Bella. Please do not ever apologize to me for almost killing you." Internally, I was seething and disgusted with myself for blurting that out.

Had I finally said too much? Bella was trembling, but other than that she sat as still as I'd ever seen her.

I shook my head at my own idiocy and took an exaggerated breath. It scorched and stung like fire, but was not as intense as it had been a moment ago. Perhaps more frequent exposure was a benefit in some way. I locked my jaw and noticed that Bella had turned to face me again.

"Does it hurt now?" she asked in a shaky voice.

What was I supposed to do? Lie to her after I pledged my honesty, after my sister implored me to be honest with her? Was I really supposed to be able to be honest with her knowing that as soon as I told her the truth, she'd ask me to let her out of the car?

"It's manageable," I answered, neither denying the pain nor admitting it.

"You don't have to do this you know. If it's too hard… I don't want you to be in any kind of discomfort because of me."

I sighed. There was no avoiding this. Better to get through all of the terrorizing facts now before I filled myself with false hope that she could accept the harshest truths about what I was.

"Human blood in general has the potential to cause discomfort, Bella. It's part of our make-up. Fortunately, the more we resist, the less it controls us. Unfortunately, in my case, and with your blood specifically, it's different." I swallowed the venom in my mouth, cursing it silently for proving my point. "There has never been anyone before who had this effect on me. You're very special to me."

Bella's breath hitched and I watched her from the corner of my eye, too afraid to be confronted head on with disgust. Her gaze was downcast and her body trembled with each breath, with each beat of her heart. Her discomfort tugged on my heart, eating away at my own emotions. She hurt, so I hurt.

"And you left Forks… You left your family behind… Because of me? Didn't you?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"No, Bella. I left because of me. I wasn't safe. For you. Or for my family. I was the problem. Not you."

"No?"

"No," I said, firmly. I could smell the saline of her tears. I could see them shining on her cheeks.

Without another conscious thought I lifted my hand to her face and grazed the back of my fingers along trail of tears, wiping them away. Their heat burned into my fingers and went straight to my chest, the cavity surrounding my dormant heart throbbing in response to it.

She looked over at me, shocked no doubt by the cold and hard fingers that sought to comfort her. I only hoped they didn't upset her further.

"Please don't cry because of me, Bella."

In that moment her eyes flashed and widened. She stared at me for a long time, until those beautiful brown eyes flooded and spilled over once more. Emotions flickered on her face briefly causing her brow to furrow and dimple between her eyes and then finally, she closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, wiping the rest of her tears away herself.

"It's a little too late for that," she said, the predominant emotion being bitterness.

"I realize that now. I'm so very sorry."

"Are you?" she shot back, her eyes flashing. "Do you have any idea what I went through when you just disappeared? No, back up a little. Do you have any idea how it felt to have you promise me to explain what happened when you saved me from Tyler's stupid van, and then just dismiss me completely the next day? Or how about how it felt to have you basically tell me that you wished you hadn't even bothered?"

"Bella, I never-"

"No, listen. I realize now that there were extenuating circumstances involved. I get it now. But even then, I wasn't so foolish as to believe that having the ability to do what you did for me… that it was something you would want to advertise. I wasn't stupid! I lied for you. I protected your secret without even knowing what it was! And you shut me out without a second thought! I know you probably thought it was impossible to explain away what I saw, but you could have said something… _anything_… to let me know that you didn't hate me for it," she shouted. Her body shook in anger while her pulse beat wildly.

It was suddenly all too much for me: Her sharp words, the pain behind them, the way her body temperature almost imperceptibly elevated, and finally the pounding sound of blood flowing through her veins.

I was beginning to lose control. The thirst and the monster within were breaking loose from the restraints I'd placed on them. Terrified at my nearness to Bella in this state, I opened the windows all the way, simultaneously pulling off onto the side of the road and onto an embankment. I was out of the car and twenty five feet from her before she even had time to register that we'd come to a stop.

The sounds coming from Bella's frenzied body- so full of anger, life, and warm wet blood- were still tremendously loud to me, even at this distance. I worked desperately to fill my lungs with fresh air and get control. She was upset and now probably frightened because I'd left her sitting on the side of the highway. That stark realization, along with the sound of a strangled whimper from inside the car, had me at back her side almost instantly. The monster could go to hell, Bella needed me.

I knocked softly twice on her window and opened the door slowly. I knelt down next to her and hung my head.

"I'm sorry. I needed a moment. It's better now." I looked up at her slowly. "Please, don't be angry."

She nodded once, but wouldn't meet my eyes. After two deep breaths, she turned and faced me before removing herself from the car. Another couple of breaths and she stood, silently walking away from the interstate. Wordlessly, I followed behind her until we reached the edge of the woods on the far end of the embankment. She turned around and looked up at me with unshed tears in her eyes.

"This is better? Being outside?" she asked.

I nodded. It was. And I hated myself for that, almost as much as I hated myself for causing her distress.

"I'm sorry, Bella."

"You left again," she said dropping her head. "Always leaving…" she muttered lowly. I knew that the words were not meant for me to hear, but I wondered what she meant exactly.

"I'm very sorry. I was afraid I was losing control. Your pulse…"

She nodded, but did not look at me or speak again.

"Bella, please hear me out. First, I'd like to apologize if I frightened you by fleeing from the car like that. Second, and most importantly, I am truly sorry if you were under the erroneous impression that I ever regretted saving your life, or that I hated you for it. Nothing, _NOTHING_, could be further from the truth."

I paused, hoping she would hear the truth in those words. "I avoided you because I knew that you weren't going to let it go. You were so curious, so observant, and you'd seen far too much. I couldn't risk you figuring out the truth."

Bella finally looked up at me, her face confused and… hurt? I'd hurt her feelings.

She shook her head lightly as if to clear her face of the revealing emotion. "I never told anybody what happened that day. I lied for you so that no one would grow suspicious, I protected you and you still shut me out. I just don't understand. Was the idea of me knowing what you are really so horrible?"

"Yes!" I said, more forcefully than was prudent. Bella started and moved back half a step. I reached towards her hand to grasp it, but thought better of it at the last moment. "You need to understand. I'm a vampire, Bella. I pretend to be human, but I'm not."

"I know that!" she said defiantly, her chin tilting up and her jaw locking. She was so stubborn.

I laughed without humor. "Do you? Do you know that vampires only have one rule. On law, so to speak: Keep the secret. In our world, breaking that rule is a death sentence. If a human discovers us, their life is forfeit in order to prevent exposure. You are not supposed to know," I said, lowering my voice in an attempt to deliver this horrific fact with a modicum of gentleness.

"So you just kill people if they find out about you?"

"No! Never!" Was this what she honestly thought of me? "My family's not like that, Bella. We would never intentionally take a human life," I explained defensively

"Then what do you do, Edward?" Bella stepped a hair closer to me with her expression determined.

I wanted to laugh and then hug her for her ridiculous bravery and unending stubbornness. Here we were talking about life and death and she questioned me as though her own mortality had never occurred to her.. Did she honestly not feel threatened at all? I sighed, focusing on her question.

"We move on. When someone gets too curious, or guesses what we are, we leave town. We cover our tracks and start over somewhere new. When I left Forks, it would have roused tremendous suspicion for my entire family to leave so close to the end of a school year. Especially with three of the five Cullen children set to graduate that year. So I left, and they stayed behind to keep up appearances and make sure you kept quiet."

"That seems really… reasonable," she said, her tone relieved. I was glad she was no longer upset, but she needed to understand the seriousness of the situation.

"My motives… Me, my family, we are not the concern here, Bella. There are others. Other vampires who would, and do, kill to keep our existence from being discovered."

Bella thought a moment and then laughed darkly. "Are you going to report me?"

"Never. I would never let anyone hurt you."

"Okay then." Bella nodded and took a deep breath. "It's your turn."

I smiled down at her, unbelieving. Just like that she was willing to move on with our little question and answer session. Had she even processed half of what I just told her? I know I was still digesting her words to me.

"My turn, huh?" I asked lightly, realizing that my turn came only after Bella had asked almost ten separate questions of her own first. "Just like that?" I mused.

Bella nodded and forced a smile. I answered it with a genuine one of my own.

"Alright," I agreed. "How did you come to be employed as a service advisor for Volvo?"

Bella tensed immediately. "Pass," she said as her cheeks flushed with color, turning a delightful crimson shade.

"Pass?" I asked confused by her reaction.

"Yes, I'd like to pass on that question."

"Who says you get a pass? We didn't discuss that prior to starting this little game of yours," I answered, only half serious. When she failed to answer right away, I relented. "Alright, Bella. You can pass."

I was in trouble if she ever realized how powerless I was to deny her. Fortunately, she must have changed her mind because only a moment later she was launching into the story behind her current employer.

"No, I… Freshman year I was riding the bus on Ravenna Boulevard when I passed by the Volvo dealership. I'd only gone down that way for a job interview at a book shop, but when I got there the position had been filled already. So all I'd come away with was a new book. Anyway, when the bus stopped on the corner, I saw they were looking for a new cashier in the service department. I asked about it and the pay was a whole lot better than either the bookstore or work-study on campus, so…" Bella shrugged.

"So you took the position?"

"Mm hmm."

"Well, it suits you somehow. You seem comfortable there. Knowledgeable," I said, feigning nonchalance. Truth be told, I found her occupation an anomaly well worth investigating.

"Thanks." She smiled uncomfortably and changed the subject. "My turn again?"

I noticed her shiver when she asked and I could well imagine she was getting cold standing out here. We'd been stopped far longer than I intended, and I'd never meant for her to get out of the car.

"We should get going," I said softly. "Ask me in the car."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" she asked.

"I will. Will you?" Maybe she didn't want to get back in the car with me.

"I'm fine if you are."

I extended a hand towards the idling vehicle and waited for her to start walking before joining her. As we walked side by side, I decided to clarify something she'd said earlier. I needed to know that she'd been assured that I didn't harbor any ill feelings towards her.

"Bella? You know that I never for a moment regretted saving your life, don't you?" I asked, stopping and turning her carefully to face me.

Bella's eyes went to the ground. "I know. I just…I did think that was the case for a long time."

"I know I was rude and intolerable, but why would you think that?" I asked.

"At the hospital... when I asked you why you bothered to stop the van. You told me..." She shook her head again, a nervous habit it seemed, right up there with biting her bottom lip. "You said you didn't know why you did it. I thought that you meant…"

Her words trailed off and she was close to crying again. I couldn't stand seeing her so upset over such thoughtless, careless words spoken five years ago. It was unbearable. Reaching for her cautiously and gently- very, very gently- I cupped my left hand against her cheek and lifted her chin with my right.

"Oh, Bella…" I wiped her tears from under her eyes with my thumbs, and dipped my head until she met my eyes. "I'm so very sorry. That was not what I meant at all. Honestly, at the time, I really didn't know why I'd risked exposing myself to save you. I only knew that I couldn't let anything happen to you. When I saw that you would be crushed, my body moved without a second thought. Getting to you was all that mattered."

She turned her head to the side, half pushing my hand away and half leaning into it. "Why?"

I closed my eyes briefly and pretended for just a split second that this moment wasn't taking place on the side of an interstate highway. Could I tell her the truth without frightening her further? The one word that explained everything in my mind, could also send her running faster than anything else I'd admitted to all night.

Should I?

The look on her face told me that anything less than the truth would start another argument.

Taking a deep breath of air swirling with her scent, I opened my eyes and confessed to my greatest sin yet. "Because I was falling in love with you, Bella."

Bella was silent for a moment and then placed her hands over mine, attempting to pull them away from her face.

"What did you say?"

"I didn't understand it at the time, but I do now… I was falling in love with you," I repeated.

Her face distorted into a mask of pain and disbelief. "How can you say that?"

"Because it's the truth."

The pain became more pronounced, the disbelief in her expression becoming something more like betrayal. "But. You. Left."

"I was trying to protect you," I said, feeling a deep sense of foreboding.

"But you just said…" she shouted. "Why would you hurt me if what you said was true! How is that possible?"

"Bella, you have no idea how dangerous I was to you. How dangerous I am to you still! Even if it is never intentional, all it would take is a momentary loss of control to end you. Your life was, and is, far too precious to me to risk!"

"But you're here now. Why come back if it's too risky?"

"I got tired, Bella. I cannot… I don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore. I know it's hideously selfish to just show up after five years and have the gall to expect anything from you. I know that. I don't have any expectations."

"Good!" she snapped.

"I would understand if you never wanted to see me again."

"As you should." Bella crossed her arms in front of her chest and scowled.

Seconds passed and I stood still and silent; watching her eyes dance in thought, memorizing her heart rhythms, listening to her breathing. I was completely unconcerned with the traffic speeding by only yards from where we stood or the fact that my car sat there idling with the windows open and the heat on. I couldn't move an inch when had no idea if I would ever be this close to Bella again.

I'll take you home now, if you wish," I said, breaking the loaded silence between us.

"No," she answered fiercely. "I'm upset with you right now, Edward Cullen. I'm hurt and confused, and just a little bit in shock over here. But..." She stood up to her full, albeit petite, height and stared me down. "I'm also cold, hungry, and in no mood to cook dinner right now. So… you _will_ take me to get something to eat _and_ give me a chance to cool off a bit before you start making any more assumptions about what I wish, or how I feel."

She stepped past me and got in the car, slamming the door behind her. I turned around completely confused and cursing the fact that I couldn't just read her mind, and get a clue.

* * *

_*Chuckles under my breath at Confusedward.* He got off easy if you ask me. ;-) _

**Author's Note:**

First of all, a huge apology for the later than usual update!

Second, to the nameless and faceless bunch of you who have been Tweeting this story and recommending it to your friends... THANK YOU SO MUCH! New readers are finding WDH everyday because of word of mouth, and I appreciate it more than you know.

Lastly, to my betas and pre-readers... I love you ladies all the way up to the New Moon and back! Three cheers for **farawaymomo** for reading about 100 different versions of this chapter until I whittled it down to the one you see before you! Thank you, sweet girl! ;-)

And on another note entirely... Even though we didn't quite make it to 200 reviews just yet, I have every intention of completing the outtake challenge I posted at the end of Chapter 7. I just got way too excited about writing them to be fickle about things, not to mention that the reviews I am getting are amazing so I cannot complain at all! I will tally up your votes this week and get to it! Thanks for playing along and I will catch you all next week!

Hugs, Ginnie


	11. Chapter 10: Me & You

**_Disclaimer:_The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, May 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: **

"**Me & You"**

Several minutes later we were once again sluggishly making our way south on the interstate. If Bella didn't have a preference for where she'd like to have dinner tonight, I had planned to continue in this direction and then take her on a more scenic route home. Preferably one less crowded and at least a little more fun to drive as Bella was not comfortable with traveling at high speeds. I wondered if she'd ever trust me enough to run with me. Would she prefer the freedom like I did if there were no other vehicles around to collide with?

Of course, none of that mattered if I had injured her beyond her capacity to forgive. It was like torture sitting next to her without a clue in the world as to whether or not she would forgive me. I only knew that in confessing my adoration for her I had upset her. Both times. Telling her that nobody on earth had ever affected me the way she did had been met with tears. Telling her that I'd fallen in love with her had been met with distrust and anger.

However, telling her I would take her home had not been received too well either. I was perpetually confused.

Eventually, I worked up the courage to ask Bella for some guidance on where to take her to eat.

"Bella? In the spirit of not guessing your wishes, could you tell me where you would like to eat this evening? We're halfway to Tacoma, but I can turn around if you know somewhere in Seattle that you prefer."

"I'm not sure. Somewhere with outdoor seating for you maybe, but other than that…" She shrugged. "I don't really care as long as I don't have to eat fish."

"You don't like fish?" I asked, treading carefully but wanting to keep her speaking to me.

"I do, actually. But… my dad is an avid sportsman and fishing is his favorite pastime. He's very good at it too. So, we ate a lot of fish when I lived in Forks," she explained.

"So you'll eat it. But it's not your favorite," I surmised.

"Yeah."

"I can relate to that. What is your favorite?" I asked.

"Italian, I guess," she shrugged. "My tastes change a lot. Except for dessert."

"You have a favorite dessert?"

"Um, yeah. Since I was a kid. I'm not huge on sweets, but I love strawberry shortcake."

I smiled at her revelation. Her preference was perfect was for her. She still smelled to me of strawberries mixed with freesia. Though I noticed that today the strawberry fragrance was not as strong as it had once been. There were other scents, plant extracts like cherry bark, lavender, and chamomile, which reminded me of the organic shampoos that my sisters and Esme used. I assumed that she'd changed her shampoo, but the change couldn't eclipse her natural scent entirely.

Bella caught me smiling when she tuned to look at me while finishing her thought. "I'm a big snob about it though. My gran used to make it with real whipped cream and homemade shortcakes that she made from scratch, not the store bought junk."

"In that case, perhaps we should stick with finding an Italian restaurant rather than go searching for something that will never live up to your memories or expectations." I had been talking about her grandmother's shortcake, but realized that the words could have been applied to the situation between Bella and I.

"That's always a danger, isn't it?" She was staring down at her lap and I wasn't sure if she was speaking to me, or to herself.

"So, Italian?" I asked, hoping to distract her from whatever she was thinking about.

"That will be fine."

"Alright. I'll find someplace."

"Oh, wait," Bella said suddenly. "You have the built-in Navigation System in this thing. We can use that to find whatever's close by."

"I've never had to use it before. Care to give me a tutorial?" I asked, eager to be back in her good graces again.

"Well, I'm no expert. I know about part numbers and labor codes for these things, but I think it's pretty easy," she said, perking up a little.

She immediately went to work finding a restaurant nearby that sounded pleasing to her. She found three and then demanded that I call ahead to find out if they had heated patio seating. Bella's insistence that I be comfortable while we were out blew me away, figuratively speaking. Her kind and selfless nature was one of the things that impressed me most about her when she was younger, but seeing it now in the way she was concerned for me despite everything else I'd put her through tonight was overwhelming. Bella truly was an amazing creature.

When we arrived at the restaurant that she'd chosen, we had to wait several minutes for them to finish turning on all of the patio heaters for Bella per my request. They had a few tables set up on the deck but only one heater running, a standard practice unless there were actually people requesting to be seated outside. I was a bit irritated that they hadn't prepared considering how we called ahead, but by the time Bella returned from using the facilities and checking her cell phone for messages, our table was ready and the deck warmed.

"Is everything alright?" I asked Bella, noticing the pink hue that colored her pale complexion once we were sitting down. Not that she didn't routinely flush, but this seemed like something more.

Bella waived a hand dismissively and huffed. "Yeah, it's nothing. Just an overbearing watchdog who called about eight times while we were stopped on the side of the road before."

"Embry?" I asked to confirm he was whom she meant by _watchdog._

"Yes," she sighed.

"And he knows you're with me?"

"Oh, no. Gosh, no. Although he did assume that I was with you when I didn't answer. Actually, it was more like he accused you of abducting me. He said he was about to send out a search party."

I laughed with little humor. "Well, it's a good thing you thought to check your messages then."

Bella shook her head. "I guess. I know he means well, and I completely get why he's freaking out, but honestly he has no right to intervene in my life anymore. I'm a grown woman and I've been very clear with all of them about this baby-sitter crap. They can't protect me from everything that goes bump in the night, and I don't want them to. What happens, happens."

_What__happens,__happens?_

"God, Bella. Don't say things like that. I cannot bear the thought of anything bad happening to you. Please? Please let those who love you look out for you," I begged. There was a deeper message in my words, one I could only hope Bella would accept in time.

"Ugh… Not you too," she said, exasperated.

I wasn't at all happy to have to equate my care and concern for her with that of a pack of overgrown guard dogs, but if it helped her understand how much I loved her then I would just have to find a way to deal with it.

"Yes, me too."

Bella's hand shook as she lifted her glass of ice water and I watched her cheeks flood with color again. She never took her eyes off of me while she drank, only lowering them when she lowered her glass. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

"Can we curb the heavy conversation for the rest of the night? I'm not sure how much more baring of souls I can take and even though I told Embry I was at the library and I'd be there really late, if I'm not back by midnight he may come looking for me."

I smiled at her nervous but sensible request. "Of course," I said to appease her. "But... Do you think he'll give you any trouble when he figures out that you were lying?" My question was worded casually, but my concern was much more serious. I couldn't risk placing Bella in any danger, even the wrath of a sworn protector.

"Umm... What makes you assume that he would-"

"He'll be able to detect my scent. When you go home tonight, it will be in your hair, on your clothes."

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that."

I smiled at her. "That's why I'm bringing it up. I don't really know Embry well enough to predict how he would react. It seems that you two are close."

She swallowed loudly. "Yeah. We are. He's a good friend. I think, out of anyone... he should understand that I needed to do this. That I needed to talk to you about what happened all those years ago."

"Why do think he'll understand versus the others?" I asked, probably stepping into heavy conversation now.

"We just get each other, I guess. He gives me more credit than the rest of them, usually. He doesn't see me as the perpetual victim." She looked away, uncomfortable.

I wanted to explore what she meant by that. I wanted her to open up to me about her attack, and how she dealt with it after. I wanted to know how there was still a healthy, strong woman sitting in front of me after something like that. If Embry was part of the reason, I would be eternally grateful to him. Instead of pushing her, I changed the subject.

I noticed the server approaching the table at that moment. It was the perfect way to give Bella something else to think about. "We should order your meal now. You must be hungry."

"Oh. I forgot to look at the menu. Am I ordering for both of us?" she asked with a slightly amused smile.

"Get what you like, Bella. We can share," I said, winking at her just as the waitress came to the table. Bella laughed.

The waitress's thoughts as she approached were somewhat inappropriate and unappreciated, but it was easy not to glorify them by paying attention to her. In fact, I was unable to give attention to anything except Bella. A few minutes later, meals ordered and drinks on the table, we were rid of any interruptions for the time being.

"Are you warm enough?" I asked, knowing that we were outside and she was likely to get chilled as the temperature dropped.

"Yes, thank you. And thank you for bringing me to dinner. I know I was somewhat ill-tempered earlier."

"Hey," I said, smiling gently at her. "No heavy conversation, remember?"

Bella laughed and shook her head. "Right. I knew that."

"You do have a bit of a temper though, don't you?" I said with humor.

"Yes. As do you, if I recall," she answered smiling and blushing.

That blush was going to be the end of me.

"May I ask you a question?" I inquired, wondering if she would be in the mood to talk more now.

It took her a moment to consent. She sat watching me, her head tilted to one side, before nodding her assent.

"Why did you stay in Washington after high school? I seem to recall you didn't care for the cold or the rain."

Bella nodded emphatically. "You're right, I didn't. At first. It took some getting used to I guess." She shrugged. "Anyway, I couldn't leave. Charlie, that's my dad, he needed someone around. I also made friends… sort of. And my mom was still following her husband around when I finished high school, so there was little sense in going anywhere to be closer to her because it wouldn't have been permanent."

"Did you think about going back to Arizona?" I asked, knowing it was where she'd grown up.

"Yeah, I did. But I would have been an out of state student at the time, and tuition was astronomically expensive. Even with financial aid it was more than I could afford. So I stayed in Washington and went to a state school. U Dubb was where a lot of the kids from Forks were going, and I got more scholarship money there than anywhere else. So, here I am. Go Huskies!" She cheered lightly and gestured to her jacket.

I smiled at her mock enthusiasm. She was trying to make the best of her situation, even if it wasn't what she really wanted. I hadn't had to concern myself with financial worries any of the times I'd attended university. I wondered what sort of education she would have pursued had the money been available to her. I was about to ask when she voiced her own question.

"What about you? Where did you really go after you left the halls of Forks High behind?" she asked.

I chuckled. "Alaska. But only for a few months. I stayed with some friends there."

"Vampire friends, or human friends?" she asked.

"I don't have human friends Bella," I said, grinning at her.

"Oh." She looked down at the table.

"You're my one exception," I added.

"We're friends?" she asked, sounding suddenly shy.

"Yes, of course. If you'll have me," I answered, now feeling just as unsure of myself.

"I'd like that," she said, smiling but still looking down at the table.

Her dinner arrived, along with what appeared to be mine, as she'd ordered two entrees to maintain pretenses. She was insistent that it was rude for me to allow her to eat alone, but was also adorably unashamed to admit she really wanted to try them both. While she picked at her mushroom ravioli, I told her about Alaska and how my family had met in the middle for hunting trips in Canada during those last months of the school year. When she decided to switch entrees and try the chicken piccata, I took the opportunity to ask her another question.

"I was impressed with how well you handled Embry's anger this afternoon, Bella. You should have been running away, but you seemed to be quite capable of calming him down. Have you ever actually seen him in his wolf form?" I knew I was pushing her, but hoped we might discuss it.

Unfortunately, Bella stiffened and put her fork down.

"Yes, I have. But I don't want talk about that right now if that's okay," she said.

"Of course, my apologies. You can understand my curiosity I hope. You were very brave today."

"I wasn't brave. I was just being responsible. Anyway, tell me… Where did you go after you left Alaska? Did your family join you then?" Bella picked up her fork and took a bite of food, effectively putting the burden of conversation back on me.

I wasn't eager to relive most of those months after our family left Forks. They hadn't been pleasant for any involved. I hated to think that they had apparently been much the same for Bella. However, for her sake I recounted the story of how I'd left Alaska behind for Europe while my family moved on to the East Coast. My only thoughts at the time had been of escape, and Carlisle had many friends in Europe who were happy to provide me with a place to stay when hotels or rented countryside homes were not always reliable or appropriate.

I spent a considerable amount of time in Germany where I sought out a centuries-old vampire who once composed for Prussian royalty and was renowned the world over during his human life for his skill as a concert musician**. I told Bella how he had been a student of the clavichord, an instrument pre-dating the piano, and had literally written the book on finger technique for keyboard players. I was very fortunate that such a master had retained his skill and passion for music after becoming an immortal. In fact, in an effort to stem boredom, the old master had been the genius behind many of the twentieth century's most moving film scores. Of course he was never able to take proper credit for them, but Bella seemed to find this bit of trivia fascinating.

"So you really do play the piano? That wasn't just a part of the boarding school cover story?" Bella asked when I ended my tale.

"No. I do play. It's one thing I truly enjoy in this life," I answered.

"I can tell." Her expression was pensive, genuinely thoughtful, as she regarded me.

"How did you hear about the piano?" I asked, honestly curious. I was excited to share this part of myself with Bella, but I wondered how she'd known that it was the piano specifically. I was glad that she'd remembered either way. Especially since she'd known from the outset that the excuse given for my departure from Forks was all a lie

"Um, that would be Alice again."

"Alice told you?" I asked. How had my sister managed to keep all of this from me?

"I decided to confront your family about your departure that same week I went to First Beach. It felt like they were watching me anyway, like they were waiting for me to ask or something. So, I figured… what the heck? Anyway, the day I finally worked up the nerve to approach them at lunch, Alice was waiting for me when I got to school."

"Did you by any chance find that a little strange?" I had to ask. Bella picked up on everything else, had she noticed what a huge coincidence her encounter with my sister was?

"I did at first. But… then I figured she was just really observant. It wasn't like everyone in school hadn't noticed my foul mood or the fact that it began around the time you left. I thought she was trying to be nice, that's all."

"She probably was. I know she was somewhat taken with you. She never approved of my choice to leave."

Bella raised an eyebrow and went back to her meal, lifting another small bite to her lips.

I was absolutely mesmerized with the way she wrapped them around the hard, unyielding metal with such confidence. It had never occurred to me before that humans plunged sharp prongs into their fragile mouths nearly every time they ate. How had I been oblivious to the fact that my vampire siblings and I were surrounded every day by a cafeteria full of humans stabbing metal objects into their mouths?

"Tell me more about the piano, Edward. I feel silly eating while you just watch."

I apologized and then decided to share with her the embarrassing reason why I was staring at her. She laughed wholeheartedly and told me I had a point. However, according to her, most forks were quite blunt and she even offered to stab me in the hand if I cared to find out for myself. Knowing it would only obliterate the fork, I declined and instead spoke more about my musical interests and how long I'd been playing. Her eyes widened and she dropped her fork onto her plate when I told her that I'd only picked up the piano again in the 1930's.

"I forgot to ask you that!" she said suddenly.

"What?"

"How old you are! I forgot to ask," she said. Her face was alight with interest. She looked like the proverbial child on Christmas morning. Was there any end to the bizarre reactions she was capable of? Did she have normal human instincts at all?

"Are you sure you want to know? What if it upsets you?"

"Are you over ten-thousand years old or something?" she asked, teasing.

"No," I chuckled.

She shook her head. "Then, I'm fine. Please?"

How could I say no to that?

"Technically, I'm seventeen," I answered. "In actuality, I was born in Chicago in 1901."

She smiled. "Wow. That's not as old as I may have feared. But still... you have seen an entire century pass with your own eyes. That's kind of cool."

"Is it?" I asked, not understanding her reaction.

"Yeah, it is." She smiled and took a drink of her cola before pushing her plate away. "I'm a literature major, but history quickly became like a second pastime. It helps me so much to have a context to put things in when I'm trying to study them. I've had to learn for the most part about the Romantic Period for my studies, but I also have an interest in the remarkably different periods of the twentieth century. It's fascinating to me how much the world changed in just the eighty seven years before I was born. You can see the enormity of it all in literature or history books. But to have seen it for yourself…"

There was a far off look in Bella's eyes and a particularly endearing quality to the way she spoke of her scholarly interests. For a moment it was like she mentally checked out and then suddenly remembered where she was and what she was saying.

"Oh my gosh, I didn't mean anything by that."

"I know." I chuckled. "It's quite alright. I must say I'm relieved to find that we have similar thoughts on the subject. I too believe history and literature go hand in hand," I said. "You must like to read then if you're a literature major?"

"Um, yeah. I do. I always have. You?"

"I read more than I care to. It passes the time, but I have my favorites."

"We'll have to compare notes sometime," she offered.

"I'd like that."

Bella stretched a little and I asked her if she felt like eating anymore before the evening turned even cooler than it already had.

"Oh, no," she sighed. "I couldn't possibly eat another bite, as tempting as it is. It was really good."

"I'm glad that you enjoyed it."

I noticed her hand sitting on the table top near mine. The contrast between our skin tones was not as great as I had imagined, though it could have been the moonlight making them more similar than dissimilar. I tensed, momentarily remembering the vision that Alice had seen years ago now: My Bella, but as an immortal.

"I'd love to have the recipe for the chicken piccata. It was incredible," she commented, completely unaware of my internal musings.

Bella must have followed my gaze when I didn't respond right away and was now staring at our hands as well. She stretched her fingers towards mine. Out of habit more than anything, I pulled my hand back and immediately regretted it. Would she have touched me again? The thrill of her hand in mine was not dimmed by the passage of time. Not in the slightest. I actually hadn't stopped reliving it all night. I wanted to feel her skin against mine again.

But stupidly I'd managed to offend Bella. Looking up I saw the pain of rejection flickering in her eyes. She put on a brave smile for me before reaching for her drink as a diversion, but there were tears in the corner of her eyes.

I couldn't handle seeing her so injured by my knee-jerk reaction. I lifted my hand and moved it across the table towards her. She eyed me curiously and stared at me for a moment.

"I'm not used to being real around people, Bella. I've been projecting an illusion for so long that I don't know how to just turn off the defense mechanisms. It's a horrible excuse for acting like a brute, but I am working on it. I'm quite sure it would be very easy for me to be myself with you… if you'll give me the chance."

Bella never answered out loud. Instead, she moved her plate to the side and took my extended hand. She lifted it with both of hers and tried to pull my arm towards her. I helped her, as she wouldn't have been able to move me without my assistance. Before I knew it Bella was cradling my hand in her palm, tracing each finger, feeling the smooth edges of my nails, running her forefinger over the lines etched into my stone skin. She turned my hand over and I let out a shaky breath, catching her attention.

"Do you mind?" she asked, blushing slightly.

I shook my head, thinking myself incapable of speech at the moment. I found my voice eventually, just as she closed her small hands around mine, encasing it between them. "You have no idea how that feels," I whispered.

Bella hummed in thought and pressed her hands together, the pressure barely registering, but the heat scorching all the way up my arm. That amazing electric spark followed right behind.

"I feel that," she said.

"Do you?"

Bella sighed. "I do."

Her tone was almost mournful, confusing me. She withdrew her hands with a frown, giving my hand back with a gentle squeeze. Her parting touch elicited another series of sensations that traveled from my fingertips through the rest of my body. Though it was pleasant, her mood concerned me too much to really enjoy it.

Not wanting to push her about her distress, I instead signaled our waitress who had been trying not to watch our exchange from inside. She had wanted to check on us but thought better than to interrupt what looked to her to be a very intimate moment. I appreciated her insight tremendously. Despite her earlier thoughts about me, she turned out to be nice enough. Her initial lust had been replaced by reverent admiration of the way I treated Bella. She wanted that sort of relationship for herself, but not so much as to ignore my obvious infatuation with the lady at my side. Or the fact that I was more than a little intimidating.

When I asked about getting the recipe for Bella's entrée, the woman was only too happy to oblige, much to Bella's dismay. She made a fuss, saying the gesture was both unnecessary and embarrassing.

I made arrangements for the bill including a hefty tip, before our waitress left to see about the recipe. She almost fainted when she finally looked at the crisp bills I'd handed her and was even more determined to meet my small demand. I smiled and shook off a laugh.

Moments later the waitress was back with the lead chef, who was also the owner of the establishment. He was only too happy to provide the recipe for Bella as long as we swore we didn't have plans to use or sell it for monetary gain. Bella assured him she was only curious as to how she could replicate his technique at home, but in the end a little more persuasion was in order.

"You really shouldn't do that to people, you know?" Bella said after the chef had gone.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Bella smiled indulgently. "Dazzle them. It really isn't fair."

"I dazzle people?"

"Yes. Even men apparently," she giggled. Her light laughter was intoxicating.

"Do I dazzle you?" I asked.

Bella looked down at a spot on the table cloth as though it were capable of hypnotizing her.

"Maybe…" she said, biting her lip almost roughly.

"Maybe?"

"Yeah," she said, her cheeks pink.

"That's nice to hear."

"Well, don't think too much of it." She frowned.

"No? And why is that?" I asked.

"Because I know too much. I know that you're more than just a pretty face."

"Now I'm pretty?" I asked, chuckling.

"Oh, God," she moaned in embarrassment, throwing her hands up and covering her face as she hung her head. A muffled cry came from her inside her make-shift mask. "Kill me now, please."

Hearing those very serious words so casually thrown about bothered me tremendously. I stood silently and walked to the other side of the table, kneeling before her and putting a finger under her chin to lift her head oh so gently. She gasped in surprise and her hands fell from her face.

"Bella... Not now. Not ever. Your life is my whole universe."

She stared into my eyes, her own brown orbs impossibly wide, not even breathing for the stretch of ten heart beats. I was beginning to panic at my decision to take the conversation from light to serious when she blinked and exhaled a rush of air and barely whispered words.

"_If__all__else__perished,__and__he__remained,__I__should__still__continue__to__be;__and__if__all__else__remained,__and__he__were__annihilated,__the__universe__would__turn__to__a__mighty__stranger__…'_"

"Bronte?" I asked when she stayed silent once again, failing to explain her choice of words.

"I... Oh. Wow."

"Bella? What is it?"

"It's just that... The universe doesn't make any sense without… _you_… in my life."

"Oh, Bella…"

I placed my hands reverently on either side of her face and for the first time since I'd known her, trusted myself enough to move closer. Her declaration alone strengthened the love I felt for her and bound the monster far beneath it. If hearing her speak my name in her dreams awakened my heart, hearing her speak these words stirred whatever remained of my soul- lost as it was.

Bella leaned towards me, eyes dancing, and then lowered her forehead to mine. "I tried. I really did. I tried so hard to forget. I wanted to forget. To make the world normal again. To feel… _this__… _somewhere else." She placed a hand over where my hand covered her cheek.

"I just couldn't…" She shook her head. "I couldn't."

I stroked her cheeks with my thumbs, wiping the tears that spilled over. "I know."

"I thought I was crazy. Maybe I still am…" she whispered.

"I know, love."

I'd thought so too. What vampire falls in love with a human? With a human whose blood calls to him like no other on earth?

Bella's eyes fluttered closed as a soft smile graced her warm, red lips. I felt an immense urge to press my own cold, hard mouth to them just to see what they felt like. Would that strange electricity that we both felt between us be there too? Would it be even stronger?

Deciding that it was insanity to pursue that thought any further, I stood and abruptly allowed my hands to fall from Bella's face. She snapped her gaze to mine looking confused and a little hurt. I smiled to reassure her and extended my hand.

"Shall we go?"

"Where are we going?"

"Does it matter?" I asked. "As long as we go together?"

Bella smiled. "No. No, I guess it doesn't."

The light Bella brought into my world flooded through my long dead heart like the Nile flooded Egypt. It was new life blooming in a place where there was once only barren sand. It was the sun to my blackest of midnights. It was hope to replace the despair. It was everything. She was everything, and she cared for me too.

Bella really didn't care where we went after we left the restaurant so we ended up doing as she originally asked and took a drive.

After ensuring that she didn't suffer from motion sickness, I devised a route in my head that would wind a path over less traveled byways and back to Seattle. I ended up driving until Bella was finally too fatigued to really carry on a conversation any longer. We'd discussed our tastes in music, books, film and television- or rather our mutual lack of interest in either of the latter two topics. It was truly staggering to me the sheer amount we had in common.

I'd only touched on one subject all night that seemed to strain the conversation at all. When Bella realized for herself just how much her interests were like my own she joked that her father had been right about her being far too mature for her age. She revealed that he'd often said she'd never been a normal teenage girl. Those words bothered me at first, but when she explained, I could see it was the truth. Bella wasn't normal. She was phenomenal.

She touched a little on how she'd avoided normal "girl" things like gossip, and shopping, and dances. Instead she took an interest in fixing up old cars during her senior year of high school. She'd even spent homecoming weekend searching for used parts at a junkyard in Olympia rather than attending the dance or other festivities.

It was when I questioned Bella about her interest in cars, and who she'd gone to the scrapyards with, that she'd bristled and changed the subject. She didn't want to talk about it tonight. She promised to tell me at some point, but said she hadn't wanted to ruin our evening. Of course, the fact that she assumed that her answers would put a shadow over out time together worried me far more than I let her know. I concluded that her reticence to discuss the topic had to do something with Embry or the rest of the wolf pack. I'd only just discovered that they had a history, but I hated that Bella felt she had to walk on proverbial eggshells because of that. I wondered what she was thinking about right now.

She cleared her throat a little after a moment of strained silence, and looked at me.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I just... we've said a lot of things tonight already. It's just a lot to process."

"I understand. There's no rush."

Truthfully, I wasn't sure what else to say to her. Not only did my brain process things a thousand times faster than Bella's more limited human synapses, but I'd had a few years to deal with how I felt about her. She seemed to only just be discovering her own emotions. Even now she struggled to put them into words.

"I do want to be your friend. But... you're a vampire. And I'm just... average. So, I guess I'm struggling to wrap my head around why you'd even bother with me. I mean, I know what you said _before_." She paused and looked at me with significance. She meant when I'd confessed my love for her. "But still... I have to wonder if there's even room for me in your world. Or... if you'd ever want to be a part of my very plain, very boring one."

"Bella. There is nothing plain, or boring, or even average about you. I find you absolutely fascinating. It would be an honor if _you_ wanted _me_in your life. And, as for whether or not there is room for you in mine, well... Not only is mine a very lonely existence, but I think we've proven tonight how similar our interests are. You'll fit right in."

"What about your family?"

"They'll love you."

"Oh, right. I can just see Rosalie and I picking out curtains together and everything."

I laughed openly at her wit. "My sister's shortcomings aside, they really will adore you."

She seemed unsure but nodded silently. Eventually, Bella reclined her seat backwards and I assured her it was okay that she rest while I drove back to Seattle. Having discovered that we shared a fondness for Debussy during our earlier conversation, I put on Suite Bergamasque. It always relaxed me and I hoped it would do the same for her. I was pleased when Bella's breathing evened out and she fell into a light slumber only three minutes into the Prelude. She rolled to her side so that she was facing me when the opening chords of the third movement, Claire de Lune, filled the car with its melancholy sweetness.

"One of my favorites," she said without opening her eyes.

"Mine too," I answered, staring down at her. The soft smile on her rose-colored lips and her nearly translucent skin set against such long dark hair made her look like an angel. I didn't think I could love her any more than I did in that instant, yet when she sighed contentedly and put her hand out in a silent request for my own, I felt a rush of emotion that I thought might cripple me.

As Bella intertwined our fingers and brought them to rest against her heart, I was filled with an awareness of so many things that I thought I'd never feel, so much that I'd never known I was lacking. It crashed over me as a storm beats upon the shore. There was destruction and there was cleansing, it was the loss of what had been, in order to make way for what was to become.

Bella had changed me and was changing me still.

I didn't know whether to be terrified or to be thrilled by what the future held with this angel by my side. But if I could have, just for tonight, I would have stopped time and kept us in this one perfect moment forever.

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**Author's Notes:**

_Many thanks to **Essay33** for beta'ing this chapter. It will be her last and I am truly thankful that she hung in there with me this long! Thanks also to **Farawaymomo** for sticking with me as well and always being honest! _

** The maestro vampire mentioned in this chapter is loosely based on C.P.E. Bach (1714-1788), who was a real composer and court musician to Frederick II of Prussia. He did, in fact, write a book on keyboarding technique that became the standard of the time. I have no idea how he really died, nor do I think he was reincarnated as John Williams. ;-)) Just having fun!


	12. Chapter 11: Deals Off

_**Disclaimer: **_**The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, May 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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_A/N: I would like to give a warm welcome to my new beta! **Katmom** contacted me last week and volunteered to fill the role left open after I announced that my previous beta was unable to continue. Kathie is a dedicated reviewer, prolific FF author, and experienced beta. Just go through your list of favorites, she's bound to have written or beta'd one of them. ;-) I was honored to have her want to work on this story with me and cannot convey how grateful I am, nor can I say how relieved I am to find someone to turn to for such reliable and super-fast support! You totally rock, Kathie!_

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**Chapter 11: **

"**Deals Off"**

_ Bella had changed me and was changing me still. _

_ If I could have, just for tonight, I would have stopped time and kept us in this one perfect moment forever._

_~(~)~_

Unfortunately, it seemed the idea of forever was a folly. I hadn't been expecting that our temporary little glimpse of perfection would last less than thirty minutes.

Just a few miles from Bella's apartment my phone vibrated in my pocket. Not wanting to disturb my sleeping angel, I contemplated not answering until responsibility won out and I pulled my hand gently from her grasp. Despite the wonderful night we'd had, I wouldn't allow myself to forget that there were things going on around us which threatened the peace that only Bella could give me.

"Hi, Alice," I answered.

"EDWARD?"

"Alice, what's wrong? I'm right here," I answered in response to her urgent shriek.

"You just disappeared! Your future, it's gone. I can't see anything!" she yelled.

"Victoria?"

"No. No, she got what she wanted. She's long gone. That's not it."

"Then what-?"

"I don't know! I'm freaking out, Edward. Where are you?"

"We're in the car on the way back to Bella's apartment," I said, running possible scenarios as to the cause of Alice's blindness through my head as fast as I could.

"Did you decide something just now? Did Bella?" she asked.

"No, not to my knowledge, and Bella's sleeping so I don't think it was her." I was completely frustrated. What did this mean? Should I stop the car? Keep going? If I did, what was awaiting us around the next bend in the road?

"Alice, what's the last thing that came through clearly?"

"I wanted to make sure you'd be okay when you dropped her off at home because you were considering how to say goodnight to her… I saw everything up until you got to Bella's doorstep. You would wake her just before you arrived at her building. She would kiss your palm. You would walk around and open her door, and then… Then it was gone. There was nothing but black and grey fuzz. It's even more obscured than it was when you both disappeared earlier. I tried to look for you tomorrow, or the next day, even further out… nothing!"

"What do you mean we disappeared earlier? When? Why didn't you call?" I asked, fuming.

"I did! But you didn't answer. Then you called Carlisle and you said everything was fine, and-" Alice stopped abruptly.

"When you called this afternoon, it wasn't to warn me? You didn't see the confrontation with Bella's co-worker? You didn't see the Quileute she works with?"

Alice didn't answer. We were both silent and even though we were both at a disadvantage being apart, I had a feeling I knew exactly the direction my sister's thoughts were going in because I was right there with her.

It was a light bulb moment if I'd ever experienced one. I'd been wondering what Alice had seen earlier during the confrontation with Embry. Now it turned out that she hadn't seen any of it. The pieces were coming together quickly and I could finally see the solution to the puzzle that had evaded us for the last two weeks. Looking down briefly at Bella, thinking of her many interactions with the Quileutes over the years, it hit me, I just knew. Bella wasn't blocking Alice.

Alice couldn't see past the werewolves.

"You can't see past the wolves, can you?" I asked, finally breaking the silence and verbalizing my theory.

"I don't think so," Alice answered quietly. "I don't... I can't tell."

"Has Carlisle spoken to them? Is he there?" I asked.

At that moment several thoughts intruded on my consciousness. They all revolved around one subject and caught my attention quickly. Although their thoughts concerned me greatly, I was largely relieved that their presence indicated our theory was correct.

_Oh Bella... Where are you? I screwed up. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you go. I'm going to find you though, B. Promise._

_ ...master manipulators. Bella wouldn't have even known it if he meant her any harm. Too trusting... So stubborn... Five more minutes and we act..._

_ Well, this sucks. Look at Embry. He's shaking in his boots. Ha! He should be, Jake's gonna kill him if we can't find Bella. God, what is Sam waiting for anyway._

"Edward. Tell me you've got an answer for us." Carlisle had taken the phone from my sister.

"Hi, Carlisle. It looks as though Alice can't see the werewolves in her visions, or that they block her somehow."

"Explain."

"I believe it explains the inconsistencies she's had with seeing Bella. Bella is a friend to the young man I encountered at Volvo earlier this evening. They've known each other for years, in addition to working together. I just picked up on his thoughts and two others a moment ago. It appears they are waiting near her apartment for her to return. They think I may have kidnapped her. Or killed her."

I almost growled at the idea when it flitted through the mind of the one called Sam.

"So in theory, you disappeared from Alice's sight because she can't see their future in her visions," he concluded.

"Yes, and also because the outcome of my immediate future and Bella's is dependent in part on how they react to seeing us together," I added.

"I see. Well, I phoned the reservation earlier. Billy Black was supposed to have a man named Sam Uley return my call. I presumed he was the new alpha from the way Billy spoke."

"That would make sense. Sam is here now. In Seattle."

"Billy told me that he was out. I had no idea he was on his way to Bella's," Carlisle said, sounding apologetic.

"It's alright, Carlisle. You couldn't have known. Even I failed to calculate the likely outcome of Bella's association with them."

"What does Bella have to say about the situation?"

"She fell asleep. Earlier she mentioned that the werewolves were protective of her and that Embry may come after her if she stayed out too late. Now, I'm not sure what to do. She could get hurt. If they lose control, Dad..." I looked down at her, the panic starting to rise.

"I have faith in you, Son. You won't let that happen. Do what you must to keep them calm and I'll be there as soon as I can. Just don't let it turn into a confrontation," he urged.

"I may have a difficult time with that. I'm not Jasper."

"No, but you do have a definite advantage. Look for something in their thoughts that you can use to set them at ease."

"I'm not you, either. Even with my ability," I answered feeling truly despondent.

"Edward... You need to give yourself more credit. I can't get there right away and if you turn around and leave, they may take it as a sign that you actually have kidnapped the girl. You must act in my place until I arrive. Do your best. I know you can handle this."

"Dad... I appreciate what you're trying to do. But Bella is... unpredictable. And... the wolves are known for being volatile."

"Unpredictable," he repeated. "Right. I seem to be forgetting the implications of you being unable to hear her thoughts." He sighed and I could hear movement behind him. "Perhaps in that case, you'd better wake Bella and speak with her. From what Alice said before, it seemed as though things were going well with you two. Handle the situation together. She knows them better than we do and that's something working towards your advantage."

I heard car doors closing and muffled goodbyes, along with Alice's voice speaking rapidly behind my father.

"We'll be there soon. Apparently Jasper and Alice are coming along too. Alice says all of our futures just went fuzzy."

I nodded until I realized he couldn't hear my head shake. "I think it's a good idea to bring them with you. Shall we plan to meet somewhere away from Bella's? Assuming I can get her to stay put while we speak with the pack?" I asked.

"See what they suggest and let us know. We'll be waiting for your call," he answered.

"Very well, then. I'll be in touch."

I hung up and realized how close I was to Bella's home. I had already slowed down, but turned quickly to take the most roundabout way I could find to get back to her apartment.

"Bella…" I spoke gently but firmly, trying to wake her.

Again I called to her. "Bella... Wake up."

She stirred and her eyelids fluttered for a moment before she shot straight up in her seat.

"Oh!" she cried, looking around quickly and placing her hands on the dash. She turned her gaze on me, while I fought against the sound of her heart pounding. The force of it tested my restraint.

"We're almost there," I said, the strain in my voice evident to me.

She relaxed a bit, which helped. "You're really here. Or…" She looked around. "I guess _I'm_ really here."

_Huh?_

"Yes, you're here." I chuckled at her confusion despite how worried I was about the immediate future.

"I guess I got a little disoriented. Sorry," she apologized. She turned a little in her seat and took in my posture. "What's wrong?"

I sighed. "You have some visitors."

"What do you mean? Where are we?"

"A few blocks from your apartment. Your friends are waiting for you to get back." I was using the term friends pretty loosely.

"Do I want to know how it is you know where I live? Or how you can tell there's someone waiting there for me? Can you see through buildings now too?"

"No."

"No, you can't see through buildings? Or no, I don't want to know how you know all this stuff?"

"Both."

"Oooh-kay... Fine. For now," she huffed and narrowed her eyes. "Can you at least tell me who's waiting for me? Or should I guess?"

"Embry is there, as is a guy named Sam and another called Jared. They're waiting outside your building, just under the trees."

"Well, that... sucks." She put her head in her hands and growled. I couldn't help laugh a little at her antics.

"Oh, you think this is funny?"

I shook my head.

"No, not really. But I find you very amusing," I answered. "Adorable, in fact."

"Thanks. I think."

"You growled, Bella. It was ironic. And cute."

She didn't have a comeback for that, other than to turn bright red.

"Bella?" I asked as we got closer her street.

"Mm?"

"There are werewolves at your front door, love. I need to know if you think they'll be a problem for you."

She laughed without humor. "Yeah, they probably will be, but no more than usual. They won't hurt me. Just drop me off at the next bus stop. I'll walk the rest of the way. It's how I usually come home, so..."

"Bella." I stopped her. "Embry didn't buy the library story you fed him. But even if he had, they would have known you were with me. My scent is going to be all over you even if you walk home from here."

I wondered how wrong it was for me to love the sound of that statement.

Bella rubbed her forehead. "I forgot about that."

"I think they might want to talk to me anyway. May I walk you to the door?"

"No! No... you can't do that. If they get bent out of shape at all they could hurt you, Edward. I can't let that happen. You can't come with me. I just... No, just... no."

I glanced over at her shaking her head vehemently.

"Hey, nothing is going to happen to me. They can't hurt me. Not really anyway." I was being mostly honest, if a bit arrogant.

Bella stiffened.

"You don't know that. I've seen what they can do to vampires, alright? I also happen to know that they're not too fond of your family, treaty or no treaty, and I'm not taking the chance that my choice to spend time with you will escalate into something else. You need to stay in the car and let me deal with them."

"You're not serious!" It was my turn to look at her as if she were insane. "Honestly, Bella..."

"Uh, yeah. I am..." She hesitated when she took note of my face. "I was."

"If I asked you to stay in the car right now, would you?" I asked.

"No."

"Of course not. So don't sit there and ask me to do something you would never do yourself. I've already told you how important you are to me."

She stared at me for a long moment before speaking. "I guess that's just going to take some getting used to."

"For me too. Imagine my surprise to find a beautiful, but teeny-tiny girl standing in front of me this afternoon trying to keep a werewolf from losing control and taking my head off," I admitted.

"Well, you're important to me too. Even if I don't quite understand it," Bella said quietly while staring at her lap.

"Your friends won't understand either," I stated. I didn't really care what they thought, but it would affect Bella's safety so it was important.

"No, they won't. I think this... whatever this is," she gestured between us. "It would upset Embry and Sam a lot. Although, Jared might think it's funny. He likes to say that I'm the unofficial advocate for humane treatment of vampires."

I glanced at Bella out of the corner of my eye, my jaw locking at her words as I took another turn to prolong the ride back. Her attempt at humor needed to be explored. Why would she defend those that would kill her without a second thought?

"Can you explain that please?" I asked as gently and persuasively as I could.

Bella sighed. "Some of the guys tend to lump all vampires together. They never met your family. They didn't get to go to high school with you. None of them worked in town with your father, the doctor, like my dad did. Even Sam, who was the first to phase... he doesn't know first-hand that you can be trusted. He has to take it on the faith that you won't hurt anyone, because all of his personal experience with vampires tells him the opposite."

"You mean with vampires other than my family?" I asked.

"Yes," she answered quietly. "It's not really my place to say... but they've had some trouble. As far as I know, it started shortly after your family moved away. People have died. Sam takes it pretty personally."

"And they blame us in part," I said. It wasn't a question. I knew it was true from Embry's thoughts earlier.

"Yes, in part. Some of them more than others. I've always disagreed with the pack on that point, hence Jared's teasing."

I stole a glance at her, but forced my eyes towards the road. "Why would you do that? They're your friends, are they not? People have been murdered. How could you defend us?"

"You didn't murder anyone," she said fiercely. My chest ached at how wrong she was. "You are not to blame. Your family is not to blame. You saved my life."

"I wanted to kill you before I saved you."

"But you didn't. And you won't."

"I could hurt you without even trying, Bella. Please understand that," I pleaded.

She sighed and reached for my hand, but changed her mind before she could touch me.

"Look... if a pack of angry werewolves couldn't convince me to hate you and throw you in with rest of vampire-kind, then you don't stand a chance of doing the same. Not after tonight. Not after telling me that you left Forks and uprooted your family for my safety. It's just not going to happen."

"Alright then, we should start with the most important thing. I should attempt to regain the pack's trust on behalf of my family and we can deal with the rest later."

"You mean... me and you?"

"Yes," I confirmed, swallowing the lump in my throat. "But first I would like to see you safely inside. Then I can speak with Sam and the others about renewing the treaty between the tribe and my family. But, Bella? I need you to cooperate with me here and avoid getting in the middle of things if I'm met with any resistance."

Bella sighed. "I understand." Her expression seemed forlorn.

"Are you pouting?" I asked.

"I hate being babied." Her bottom lip pushed out just a bit.

"You've mentioned that." I grinned at her. So stubborn.

"It's not my fault I was born merely human. And just because I'm not strong enough to fight for myself, it doesn't make me ignorant," she huffed.

"Your humanity is beautiful, Bella. And precious. You may find this hard to believe, but there are those who would give up anything just to have what you do, to be what you are. I can promise you that I will never think less of you because you're human. Never," I promised.

She nodded and offered me a small smile.

"Thanks. But... the boys... the wolves? They have a habit of treating me like a child, or their ward. They tried to get me to stay in La Push I don't know how many times, just so they could keep an eye on me. 'For my own good', of course. The compromise- if you can call it that being that nobody ever asked me- was for Embry to move here to Seattle. They took advantage of how I'd jokingly told him that I could get him a job at Volvo whenever he wanted to escape the tyranny in La Push." She looked over at me with a half-smile. "Sam's not really a tyrant. It's just... complicated."

"It's pack mentality. Sam's the alpha," I said, trying to help her out. She looked genuinely shocked.

"How did you know that?"

I smiled and tapped the side of my head. "A vampire never forgets. I remember their predecessors. We had thought the gene had died out with the last generation, but it appears we were wrong."

"Oh..." She sat for a moment, thinking. "I don't think they realize that you know so much about them. Or they just don't trust me enough to tell me about it," she remarked bitterly.

"Perhaps they were afraid of frightening you."

"Better to be scared than left in the dark, completely unaware."

"Honesty is important to you." It wasn't a question. She'd said this before.

"Yes. It is... but I'm not perfect. And despite the way I've been acting tonight, I don't expect anybody else to be perfect either. I just expect to be treated like an equal."

"You'd like to be treated as though you are worthy of the same kind of trust you bestow upon others? Am I close?"

"Yes. That's it exactly," she said, her eyes telling me that my words were a relief to hear.

"In that case, I'm going to be honest with you. They will mostly likely be aggressive towards me. You're right; they don't trust my family at all. They no longer respect the treaty we had with them, and they seem to think I have taken you by force. They're contemplating what to do about that as we speak."

"How do you know all that?" She stared at me, wide eyed.

I sighed. There was no time for lengthy conversations. The longer we stayed away the more precarious the situation with her wolf friends became.

"I just do. Trust me, please?" I asked her.

She nodded, keeping her concerned eyes on me the whole time.

"Thank you," I said, relieved.

"Will you tell me how you do that, though? Sometime soon?" Bella asked, her brows now drawn together in thought.

"Yes," I promised.

"Okay, good."

"Will you do something for me then?" I asked.

"I'll try."

"Will you promise to stay out of the middle of this for now? I know they're your friends, but if they become angered or feel threatened in any way, they could lose control." _And I will defend you from harm. No matter the consequences_.

I kept that thought to myself for the time being.

"I know what can happen, Edward. Believe me. I know. But... I _am_ the middle of this. Like literally, I'm the reason they're here. So what do you expect me to do, sit there silently and not say anything?"

I smiled and a small chuckle escaped despite myself.

"For now, let's just concentrate on getting you home safe. Explain as much as you like, but consider that they may be upset by it," I answered.

I could hear Sam's increasingly worried thoughts and I knew keeping everyone calm would be paramount to preventing an open confrontation.

Bella fidgeted for another moment and tapped her fingernails against her thigh.

"Promise me you won't fight with them? If they get all bossy and possessive like I'm sure they will, please don't react. Please?" she asked, her hand reaching out to touch my forearm.

I flipped my arm over to grasp her hand instead and gave her a smile. She wasn't dissuaded by it however.

"Please, Edward? Promise me," she asked again.

Her liquid eyes convinced me. "I promise."

Bella squeezed my hand once in response to my pledge and then let go. I readied myself to deal with the onslaught of angry and possessive thoughts I would be facing. I knew the assault would really begin as soon as we got out of the car, but Bella's plea, along with her safety, would have to be foremost on my mind.

Bella cleared her throat and shifted in her seat as we turned onto her street. "I'm going to introduce you to them. Is that weird? Have you met Sam or any of the others before?"

"No, I haven't. I'm not sure they'll be interested in pleasantries though, love."

We rolled to a stop and the Volvo immediately had the Quileutes' attention.

Bella took a deep breath and picked up her bag before releasing her seatbelt. "Well, we're about to find out."

We were parked on the street in front of her building and within moments Sam, Jared and Embry were standing at attention on the walkway leading to Bella's door. I let Bella open her own door, not because I didn't want to do it for her, but because it was imperative that they see she was safe and uninjured without any interference from me.

_He brought her back. I wonder what it was he wanted from her then?_

Sam Uley made his way towards where Bella stood. He seemed thankful that she was safe above anything else.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

At the same time, Embry strode forward and verbalized his own relief. "Bella, thank God!"

He grabbed Bella as soon as she was within reach, pulling her to him in an awkward hug before quickly releasing her. "Whoa, girl. You stink!"

"Thanks a lot, Embry," she said, pushing him further back. I stepped out of the street and onto the sidewalk, coming to stop behind Bella.

"What were you thinking, Bella? You scared the ever-lovin' tar out of me!" Embry admonished her.

"I'm sorry, Em. I just wasn't ready to tell you where I was. I wanted to do this my way," Bella answered and then looked at Sam. Sam raised an eyebrow in question.

"Bella, what exactly were you trying to do? Do you have any idea how much danger you could have been in? You didn't know if he'd bring you back, hell... we didn't know if he'd taken you by force!" Sam moved closer to Bella and cringed at how strongly she smelled of vampire. His gaze shot to me and he evaluated the color of my eyes with intense scrutiny. The third member of their greeting party stood to his left side, evaluating me in the same manner.

"Well, he didn't. And... he does have a name, you know." She turned a little to meet my eyes. "Edward Cullen, this is Sam Uley, Jared Browncoat, and Embry Call... Guys, this is Edward."

They continued their evaluation of me, shocked that Bella had introduced me as though I were an actual human being. Well, as Bella predicted, Jared was not all that surprised by her words once he really thought about it. This was Bella after all.

"Nice to meet you," I said.

"Uh, hi?" Jared offered first, looking at Sam for guidance. Embry was still staring at Bella thinking that she had lost her mind. I had to admit, if Bella hadn't warned me what she was thinking in the car, it would have seemed like a valid question.

"Why are you here?" Sam finally asked, having decided not to pretend that anyone here was interested in small talk.

"I called him, Sam." Bella jumped in before I could answer.

"Why?" Sam asked, fighting the urge to roll his eyes and say, _"Of course you did"_.

"We had things to talk about. It's been a long time, but I never got to thank him properly for saving my life when I first moved to Forks. I wanted to do that."

"I mean her no malice. We talked and I wanted to see that she got home safely," I added.

"You shouldn't have taken her to begin with!" Embry said, raising his voice. He approached me as his fear for her safety and sense of responsibility got the best of him. Bella admonished him, but Sam's voice overpowered hers.

"Unfortunately, he's right, Cullen. It was unwise and foolish for you to be near her, not to mention going anywhere alone with her. How are we to know you didn't force the girl, or that you don't mean to seduce her as your kind have been known to do?"

My stomach turned at his lewd suggestion. "She went of her own free will. You may ask her, but my word is all I can give you."

"The word of a vampire, that's all you can offer?"

Bella rolled her eyes at him and lifted her hands in a show of frustration. "It was my choice, Sam. I went on my own. I wanted to go."

Ignoring her, Sam kept his steely focus on me. "You and I both know that she has no freewill where your tricks are concerned. You should leave her in peace and never disturb her again."

"Sam! That's not your decision to ma-" Bella began to protest, stepping backwards.

"Bells, you don't know everything he is capable of. Be still, honey." Jared reached out and put a restraining grip on Bella's bicep, pulling her back towards them.

"Let go of her!" The words were out of my mouth along with the low warning snarl before I could stop them.

Shock registered in the minds of the three men, but their instincts immediately readied them for my advance. It took every ounce of the control I'd perfected in the last eighty years to stay rooted in place and not remove Jared's hand for him, permanently.

"Stay where you are!" Sam's words were a warning to me and a command to Jared and Embry.

"Let me go, Jared. You're making this worse," Bella whispered as she tried to peel his vice-like hand from her arm, causing him instead to shift his grip to both her shoulders. He moved and turned her easily so that she was shielded between him and Sam. Her face was the picture of apology when she looked at me, but I couldn't take my eyes off of his hands on her.

I felt the rumbling of a fierce growl building in my chest. I wanted to roar at Jared, scream at him to get his paws off of Bella, yet I knew that I could not provoke any of them. I'd promised her.

"Jared, let go of me," Bella hissed. She struggled against his grip and the only thing holding me back now was the solid knowledge that she would be injured if I tried to forcibly remove her from where she stood.

Instead of action, I decided to try diplomacy. My words barely came out however, as thick as they were with strain.

"The lady asked you to let her go. Please. The neighbors might notice a small woman being held against her will by several large men." I pointed to the windows all around us.

Sam turned from me just long enough to observe Jared and Bella. He sighed and shook his head.

"Let her go and take a step back. Control, Jared."

Jared did as he was instructed and Bella whispered her thanks to Sam as she walked by him. I echoed the sentiment.

"Thank you, Sam. Jared."

Sam nodded once though he was confused by my show of concern.

It was then that I noticed Bella rubbing her arm where Jared had grabbed hold of her, and without thinking it through I ghosted to her side. My sudden movement caused cries of protest from the three men facing us.

"It's fine," Bella answered them. Or I thought she was answering them. When I looked from her arm to her face, she was watching me. "I'm fine," she said. I brushed my hand lightly over the material of her jacket where she'd been rubbing it. "It's fine," she repeated quietly.

It hadn't escaped my attention that we had an audience, so I stepped back upon her assurance that she was unharmed.

Embry suddenly looked upon us with a flash of intuition, though he immediately doubted his own eyes.

_ Uh, uh. No way. No. Way._

He looked to Bella for an explanation. "Bella? What's going on here? What's this about?"

_Good question. _ Sam thought.

_ Damn straight. _Jared echoed_._

"Look, you guys..." she sighed. "I'm sorry you were worried. And I appreciate that you were willing to come all this way, but you overreacted. Everything is fine. Edward and his family moved back to Washington a few months ago. He happened to come in to get his car fixed today. We had dinner together later."

Jared snickered at her words. "You had _dinner_? Is that supposed to be joke?"

"No, you dope. I ate. He watched," Bella answered, crossing her arms over her chest. I couldn't help the small smile the threatened to form watching their exchange. Embry's scrutiny kept me sobered however.

"Why would go to dinner with a vampire, Bella?" Sam interjected, honestly confused by her story.

"Because I was hungry and because this vampire happens to be a gentleman. He wouldn't take no for an answer."

"So he did coerce you?" Embry asked.

"Absolutely not," I answered, but Bella wasn't going to let that suffice however.

"No, Embry! It wasn't like that at all, and I knew you'd act this way. This is exactly why I told you that I was at the library. I wanted to tell you the truth, but I knew you'd freak out and call Sam."

Sam frowned. "And that's a problem because...?" he asked, trailing off.

"Because I knew you guys would do this! When are you going to get it that I can take care of myself? Besides, the Cullens are different."

"Bella..." I began to stop her. Not only did I not want her placing herself in the middle of anything, but I could see how her words had injured Sam.

Sam sighed. "You assume too much, about a good many things, Bella. The Cullens aside, we would all, each one of us, drop just about anything for you whether you want us to or not. We care about you, and I for one don't appreciate you repaying us by lying to us. You should have at least told Embry what was going on, and you definitely should have let him handle your safety if you wanted to talk to the leech." He looked up at me. "Sorry," he apologized before correcting himself to Bella. "Edward. You should have talked to me before you went off with Edward."

Bella lowered her voice to a whisper, "No, Sam. I'm sorry. I really am, but I told you already- I'm done with this. I love you guys but I don't need your permission, or your approval, for the decisions I make. You are not responsible for me."

Sam looked hard at her and a myriad of thoughts and images went through his head. Most focused on Bella's father, Sue and Seth Clearwater, and another Quileute I didn't recognize. Sam felt responsible for Bella no matter her protests and it angered him that she was pushing him and the rest of the pack away.

Embry spoke up, feeling slighted by Bella's words as well, "You know what, Bells? You should go on inside, it's late. We'll make arrangements with your friend here to avoid any further misunderstandings."

Sam bobbed his head in agreement, before making eye contact with me in a nonverbal request for a meeting. I nodded once in answer.

"Alright then," Sam said out loud, moving aside to clear Bella's way to her door.

"Wait," Bella stopped him. "What kind of arrangements are you talking about?"

I felt it was best for me to make an effort to try and make Bella more comfortable, hopefully preventing her from interfering further or escalating the situation.

"Bella?" I drew her attention.

"What kind of arrangements? Edward?"

"Like you said before, we have things to discuss. It's quite normal for us to make amendments to our previous agreement or even just reaffirm our mutual interests. The original treaty was made a very long time ago. When we moved back to Forks last time my father met with Billy Black, this time I'll speak with Sam. It's nothing to worry about."

She looked between me and Sam.

"Is that true? Or do I need to worry about this turning into a fight?" she asked him.

"You have my word, Bella. I want to go home to my wife and child tonight." Sam's mind was overrun with the image of his very pregnant bride. The love reflected in his thoughts was overwhelming, and I relaxed a little knowing that he was telling the absolute truth when it came to this. He had too much at stake to go searching for trouble.

Bella was still uncertain and looked to the other two. "Jared? Embry? Will you both give me your word as well?" she asked.

Embry shook his head, remembering our encounter at the car dealership and incredulous that Bella was standing there worried about a bloodsucking parasite again. He gave in after one look from Sam, however.

"Yeah. I promise," Embry said reluctantly.

"Sure, sure, Bells," Jared answered easily.

"Good." Bella took a deep breath and adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "I expect you guys to remember that there was a reason your grandfathers made a treaty with the Cullen family. They are not anything like the others. In fact, you could probably ask Edward's advice about your situation. I'll leave it up to you though, Sam."

Sam's face tightened as his anger flared. "Gee thanks, Bella."

Bella smiled at him in a placating manner and then turned around.

"Well, I guess it's goodnight then, Edward. Thank you again for dinner." She stuck her hand out with a genuine, but sad smile.

Of all of the things I imagined on the ride over, this was not how I envisioned our evening would end. It was disappointing, but ironically Bella was probably safer this way. My ever present thirst had started to wear on me, despite the fact that the intensity of the burn had lessened somewhat over the course of my evening with her. I hated the idea of having to start over again tomorrow.

"Goodnight, Bella. Sleep well." I took her hand, shaking off my thoughts and enjoying her touch one last time.

The only thing more annoying than being forced to say our goodbye this way was the unmasked disdain from Sam and Jared as they watched her touch my skin.

Embry, however, was looking on with extreme interest, and I knew that he had quite accurately clued in to the affection brewing between us.

He saw how Bella's countenance fell a bit once we'd said goodnight. Where the others just chalked it up to how disgusted she must have been; Embry realized that she had a difficult time letting go of my hand and an even harder time going up the walkway to her door. It didn't escape him that she forced a goodbye to her longtime friends, and with one last long look back at me, finally entered her apartment and shut the door.

I knew that she was worried about what would happen after she went inside, even without being able to read her mind. The strain on her face was obvious, and in my case, the feeling was entirely mutual. I was worried too, especially with Embry having taken notice of the interest I had in her. He stared at me and wondered if a vampire could even understand affection, let alone love.

Once the click of the lock sounded in the door, Sam turned back to me. "We should probably take this somewhere more private. Do you have authority to speak for your coven, or will your leader be joining us?"

"My family should be here momentarily," I answered. I had just started to notice their thoughts off in the distance when Bella had gone inside.

"Your family?" Sam asked. He was both intrigued by my choice of vocabulary and concerned about being outnumbered. He briefly contemplated calling the rest of the pack and I listened with interest as he did a mental calculation of how fast they could get here. While I was shocked at the speed at which they could actually move, I was more relieved to hear that when he left La Push, he'd informed the others to wait for his call.

"It's just my father and my sister. She and her mate were not with us when we met your predecessors. My father thought it wise for at least one of them to meet you now. And Alice is the least intimidating of the two," I answered. Truthfully, Jasper would be in attendance as well, but Sam didn't need to be made aware of that fact. It would set him more on edge than he already was.

Sam crossed his arms and mustered his most threatening visage. "We're not intimidated by your kind, but I appreciate the sentiment. Still, you should have never come back to Washington. But since you're here... there are a few things your coven needs to know."

"It's my family," I corrected him. "Not coven. And I believe we may have some information you might be interested in as well."

Sam shook his head at me. "I don't think so, _Edward_. I doubt there is much you can say or do that I would trust at this point. If you stay, things need to be different this time around. As far as I'm concerned, all deals are off. "

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_**End Note:**_

_Oh, my... Embry's on to them and Sam's laying down the law. __  
__Thoughts? Theories? And, where's Jake?_

_Thank you for reading!  
_


	13. Chapter 12: Stay

_**Disclaimer: **_**The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, May 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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Author's Note:**

_Thank you reviewers and those recommending my story to your friends, as well as those adding me to your lists of recommended vamp fics! Your support is so very appreciated. _

_Thank you __**farawaymomo**__ and__** Katmom**__ for your services and answering endless emails! You each have a special place in my heart. _

_Last, and most especially, thank you to my husband for serving our country and this family so that I can stay home with our babies and play with other peoples fictional characters. XOXOX - Can't wait for you to get home to me, baby!_

_ On to the update... last we left off, Sam lowered the boom. What did the Cullens have to say about that? _

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**Chapter 12:**

"**Stay"**

Just miles from the Canadian border, I rolled to a stop behind Carlisle's Mercedes at an abandoned gas station. Jasper and Alice got out of the Mercedes, while Carlisle and I left the cocoon of my Bella-scented Volvo in order to determine if we were still being followed.

When our impromptu meeting with the Quileuete werewolves came to a close, Sam's thoughts tipped me off that he planned to find out exactly where we were currently living and make sure for himself that we weren't associating with vampires outside of our own family. Not wanting to have them drop in on us unannounced anytime in the near future, my father and I had decided to take a long detour before returning home to Cedar Falls. I hadn't heard Jared's thoughts for at least a few minutes, but wanted to wait and be sure they were gone before turning around.

Carlisle finally broke the loaded silence hanging in the air. "Anything, Son?"

"No, I think they turned around about twelve miles ago. We should wait to be certain."

He nodded. "Of course. Well, I think that went..."

_Badly._

_ Horrible._

"...well."

Alice, Jasper and I turned to gape at our father and the man who had just negotiated a somewhat tenuous deal that all but had us at the mercy of a bunch of overgrown juveniles. The oldest among them was still a child, and though he made a valiant effort to act with a maturity worthy of his post, Sam Uley was still both naïve and impetuous about many things.

"It went _well_? That's not the word I would have chosen." Alice rolled her eyes openly. Her thoughts were clear on the subject.

_That was the second worst experience in my entire immortal life. Next to waking up alone with no idea of whom or what I was, it was the most helpless I've ever been. It was awful! _

Carlisle put a hand on Alice's shoulder. "I can imagine it was very difficult for you, but things could have gone much worse."

"Well, that may be true, but it doesn't make me any happier. We didn't do anything to deserve the blame they've heaped upon us! And... _'We'll be watching'_...? What is that? They may as well have just threatened to tag our ears with GPS tracking devices! They have no right!" Alice fumed.

Her fury was understandable considering that a single decision on Sam's part to check up on us would result in her vision being wiped out.

I sighed, not liking the idea of Alice's werewolf induced blindness any more than she did. In addition, their efforts to keep their people safe from vampire attacks had become rather extreme and far too widespread to escape attention for long.

"They'll learn their place soon enough. If we cannot convince them to restrict their overzealous policing efforts to a smaller territory, they will acquire more enemies for themselves than they already have. We won't be able to help them if they garner the attention of another clan."

"Or the Volturi," Jasper added.

Carlisle heartily agreed. "Caius in particular has a bitter dislike for werewolves. The last I heard, he believed them to be nearly extinct. If they were to discover the Quileute wolves here, it could end very badly."

"It could end badly as it is," I commented.

"Not if we can stop Victoria before she succeeds in starting an all-out war with them. It's very unfortunate... the cause behind their increased hostility towards us." My father's mind was burdened by the losses the tribe had suffered over the last few years.

Our meeting with the wolves had revealed that the cause of the new generation's hardened attitude towards us was none other than Victoria, the same Victoria who my family had played baseball with once upon a time. The same Victoria who had been slaughtering innocents throughout Seattle and now threatened Bella's safety by creating a newborn vampire who would soon be stalking the streets in search of blood. The same Victoria who had been a part of the trio that attacked my Bella on First Beach years ago.

As I'd suspected from Embry's memories, the two vampires who had been torn to shreds and burned after the incident on First Beach were once the redheaded vampire's coven, her family of sorts. It was believed by the tribe that one of them was her mate and she now sought her vengeance. The events were ones that echoed the legends of the ancient Quileutes' very first battle with the Cold Ones. This new Cold Woman, as they'd come to call Victoria, had returned to the site of her mate's demise every year since it had happened. Each time she ended at least one innocent Quileute life and got away without the werewolves touching her.

"We will have to do some checking around to see if she has been lining up any allies. If she has any support at all, we'll need to know that prior to getting involved any further. Edward's right, Carlisle. We cannot afford to help them if there is more going on here than a single grief-stricken vampire." Jasper's critical analysis of the situation pulled me out of my own thoughts.

Alice shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "Part of me really wants to argue that we stay out of it altogether. I can't believe we are still going to help those mutts after the way they just treated us."

_But I owe that bitch for Bella, _my sister thought. It was a bitterness that was uncharacteristic of Alice. Our eyes met and I knew she would help me end Victoria even if we had to go rogue to do it.

Carlisle, oblivious to the unspoken exchange between the two of us, attempted to soothe Alice.

"I know my dear, but we don't have a choice. We cannot risk leaving the situation unchecked. We do not need any scrutiny and there's no denying that it is in the best interest of humanity to help the Quileutes with Victoria at this point. She's gone too far," he said remorsefully.

Jasper noticed the silent conversation going on between Alice and I while Carlisle had been talking, but didn't call us out in front of our father. I knew my brother would talk to me later about dragging his mate into anything she ought not to be involved in.

"I just can't believe Victoria's been able to get in and out of the werewolves' territory without being caught. You said there are eight of them?" Jasper looked at me for confirmation.

"Yes," I answered. "They were six until a few months ago. Just tonight Sam was thinking that he should have realized we were back sooner. They've had two unexpected additions to the pack within a very short amount of time, and they believe it's our presence that triggers the emergence of the trait."

"Really?" Carlisle mused. "We've only been back in the state a few months and nowhere near La Push. Even still, eight is a large force. Too large. There were only three a century ago."

_Why so many now? _

I answered his thoughts the best that I could. "They don't even know. Their theory is that the pack will continue to add to their number until any current threat is eliminated."

Victoria's image flashed through Alice's thoughts. She was unimpressed by the vampiress' physical prowess and had a gut feeling there was more to it than we knew.

"But you guys? Eight wolves to get rid of one vampire? Either they aren't nearly as deadly as they're supposed to be, or Victoria has a huge advantage none of us know about," she said.

"I agree. However, Victoria isn't the only vampire they've encountered in the last five years. She just happens to be the only one who keeps coming back. The rest have had the sense to flee and not return," I informed my family.

"Could she have a talent perhaps? Maybe an extra ability to aide her?" Carlisle asked. "We already know she has the motive to continue her pursuit."

The idea of Victoria being gifted was a realistic possibility and a much less frightening one than the only other alternative any of us had come up with.

"Jasper? When Alice had her vision the other night, you were concerned about Victoria's motives and methods for choosing to create a companion?" I reminded him.

"Yes, I was. From what Alice told me, she seemed to act randomly, as if it didn't matter who it was she was changing, only that they survived the change," he answered.

"You think she's making newborns to fight the wolves!" Carlisle turned abruptly, looking between Jasper and I in horror. Apparently the thought had never entered his consciousness.

Jasper explained. "We just wondered why Victoria was going about her task so haphazardly. Now that we know she has a vendetta against the Quileutes, it only makes sense to consider the option. Newborns are stronger, faster, and they wouldn't know to be afraid of the wolves. If she prepared them, offered them enough blood to fight for her... anything is possible," he shrugged, a human a mannerism he was working on.

"There's no other evidence to support that idea other than what you gathered from Alice's vision though, is there?" Carlisle asked, still unsettled to have to even think about it. "Seattle isn't under siege at the moment, nor is Vancouver, or Portland. It would take a large city to support such an effort."

"It would," Jasper confirmed. "And I have to agree with you that there is little evidence to support the theory at this time. There's also no reason to believe that Victoria would even know about the southern wars to begin with. There are so few of us left that actually remember them, and certainly not in these parts. At this point, we can only wait and see if she acts to change anyone else."

Alice nodded and wrapped her arms around Jasper's waist. "I'll keep an eye on her, but if she messes with the wolves, I doubt I'll see anything."

Carlisle nodded. "That's all we can do. We've already told Sam everything we know about her. We'll warn them when we discover anything else. Hopefully, we can keep their efforts limited to a smaller area and away from the city. Hunting her down is _their_ task. Keeping it from becoming public and endangering our own way of life is what we will focus on." My father looked at me.

_ You have to figure out what to do about Bella, Son. You may need to do as Sam asked and stay away from her until tensions abate._

"That's not going to happen," I answered quickly.

"We were lucky just to get them to back down when they made demands that affected areas outside the Olympic Peninsula. Claiming that Bella was an extension of the tribe because of her father-"

"Bella is not Quileute. And as much as Sam or the others wish it were the case, I know Bella feels strongly about this. She doesn't want their protection. Had she been present, I'm sure she would have said as much."

"Well then, perhaps it would be best to allow her to do just that. If she has any intention to be involved in a relationship with you, she will have to make that choice on her own and communicate it to the pack for herself."

Carlisle was trying to be sympathetic to my feelings, but his reservations about my involvement with Bella at this point were hard to ignore.

_This is all so very complicated and very dangerous. Should you really be pursuing this girl right now, Edward? Should you be pursuing her at all?_

I growled lowly in response.

"Edward," Alice scolded, unaware of what he'd asked of me.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle."

"I know. It's just that little saying, 'First do no harm'. It's more than my oath as a physician, it's our way of life."

"You think I don't know that?" I asked, miserable. I knew how selfish my need for Bella was. I knew I would end up hurting her somehow. The realization of how involved she was with the werewolves made that fact blatantly obvious. I couldn't have chosen a worse human to fall in love with even if Bella had been born Quileute. It was as though we really had been written into a supernatural retelling of Romeo and Juliet. She was the Capulet to my Montague.

"Son..." he softened towards me, taking in the defeat in my eyes. "I just hate to see anything happen to Bella. She's important to you. And Alice. And now your mother is attached to her as well..." The words were a sigh. He looked at me compassionately.

_Sometimes love has to be selfless, Edward. You did so much to protect her life before this, I hate to see you waste your efforts._

"Wasted efforts?" I asked. "Would you like to hear about wasted efforts? How about this? Bella found out about our entire family before the rest of you ever left Forks, Dad."

Carlisle raised an eyebrow, while Alice gasped and Jasper looked at his wife in confusion. I laughed mirthlessly at their reaction. The shock in their thoughts was almost comical.

"I thought you said one of the wolves phased in front of her," Carlisle said calmly.

"She discovered the truth about us less than a week after I left for Alaska. She went to First Beach with some of the kids from school and someone on the beach that day tipped her off by making a comment about "The Cullens". All she had to do was ask about it and another boy who was there, a family friend, told her the rest. The kid thought it was just a bunch of scary stories. Bella didn't know about the wolves until later when Victoria and her coven wandered onto the reservation and almost killed her."

Carlisle was upset I hadn't informed him of this detail before we met with the Sam and the others. Alice was aggravated knowing that she'd failed to see this because even back then the werewolves of La Push had been messing with her once reliable gift. Jasper was trying to remember if there was anything about Bella's emotions that he'd missed, anything that should have clued him in to her awareness of our family.

"You know the best part?" Alice gasped again, seeing my revelation a split second before I said it out loud. "Alice gave her everything she needed to confirm her suspicions. Do you remember?" I asked looking into Alice's eyes. It was a rhetorical question; of course she never forgot anything.

Alice stood shocked for a moment, before she started giggling hysterically. "There really wasn't any stopping her, was there?" she asked in between fits of laughter. Jasper and Carlisle watched on in concern. "The day I grabbed her in the cafeteria, she slipped in some spilt milk. She was going to hit her head and slice it open right in front of Jazz and Emmett, who would have both lunged at her. I saw that Rosalie would have grabbed Bella out of the way, but in her efforts Bella's ribcage would have been crushed." Alice threw her hands up in the air and started laughing again. "I... can't... believe... this... whole... time!"

Jasper approached her with a brief sideways glance at me. He used his gift to calm her, along with me. "Honey, your upsetting Edward."

I looked at my brother, grateful to him. I was also suddenly curious about something else.

"Jasper? Bella said she was upset, angry even, after I left. She said that everyone at school noticed it too."

He nodded slowly. "I remember. Sort of. I know I was really uneasy that first week you were gone, distracted by my own fear that I would become tempted and you wouldn't be around to help me. But... Yes, Bella Swan was angry the first couple days you were absent. She was also confused and a little self-deprecating." He chuckled. "Kind of like you."

I ran my hands through my hair roughly and sighed. "Of course she was. She saw me stop a van with my bare hands and then had to deal with me lying to her like she was an idiot. I tried to make her doubt herself, but I was completely unable to convince her that she had been mistaken. Still, she never said anything... even when I refused to speak to her about the whole disaster. I treated her like a pariah for almost a month and she continued to cover up my involvement in the whole thing anyway. She lied to everyone, for me. Then on top of all of that, she finds out about us and keeps it to herself."

I leaned against one of the dilapidated gas pumps and shook my head in frustration at my own past deeds.

"She cares about you, doesn't she? With all this nonsense with the Quileutes tonight, I never bothered to ask," my brother said, being shrewd as usual.

I sighed. "I think so. I don't know, though. She's so confusing! I have no idea what she's thinking. What she'll say. What she'll do! Everything I guess is wrong."

Carlisle and Jasper both started laughing quietly.

_ Women. _

_ It's their nature to confound us. My poor son..._

Alice cleared her throat. "I'm standing right here, and I don't have to be Edward to know what you two find so humorous."

"Well I am Edward, and I don't find it humorous at all right now," I grumbled.

Alice looked at me with compassion. "You're dealing with an even playing field for the first time in a hundred years, sweetie. Add to that the extraordinary circumstances you both find yourselves in and things are bound to be confusing. She'll come around. There's no denying how she feels about you, I did see that."

I looked into Alice's thoughts, unsure of myself. "I'm not so sure about that, Alice."

"Oh, come on, Edward!" she said, practically growling. "The Wuthering Heights quote? All that nonsense about the universe? What do you think that was supposed to mean? You really should pay better attention in English if you don't know what Bronte was talking about when she penned those lines."

"Alice, please."

"Edward, think about it," she cried.

I had thought about it. Bella's words to me reverberated through my mind and heart. I knew she felt something for me though I hadn't dared to put a label on it. She'd been all over the place with her emotions tonight. There was sentiment there, but had I missed the meaning behind it?

"She loves you, silly."

Jasper started laughing. "Careful, Al. He might just go into shock over there."

Carlisle was trying not to be just as amused at my epiphany. "Oh, don't tease him; it's a good thing that Edward avoids making any assumptions just yet. We wouldn't want to scare the girl off now, would we?"

I smirked at him as he stood in front of me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Oh, and Edward? If what Alice says is true? You may want to wait to let Bella know that you've divined that bit of information until she confesses it to you."

I met my father's eyes as recognition came over me.

_At least, that was your advice to me when it was your mother involved._

I laughed at the memory. "Well, that may have been because I spilled the beans!"

"I suppose it was." He laughed with me, remembering how I had accidentally revealed Esme's growing affection for Carlisle long before she was ready to tell him how she felt.

"Care to share with the rest of the class?" Alice asked sarcastically, having no idea what we were talking about.

"Your brother and I have come full circle, that's all. I was reminding him of something he once told me regarding your mother."

"Which is?" Jasper asked, as curious as his mate.

"Women do not appreciate being told how they feel," I recalled.

"No, they don't," Jasper said with great amusement. "Good luck with that."

"Thanks, I just may need it. In fact, I know I will. The situation we've fallen into is a very treacherous one, especially for her. Unfortunately... Even if we hadn't returned to Washington, she'd still be in the thick of it. I guess it's better that I am here now and we face it together."

Carlisle nodded. "True. But that may be a tough sell as far as the wolves are concerned. My previous advice still stands. Bella should be given an opportunity to make her own choices. No matter what she decides, we will support you both."

"Thank you, Carlisle."

He smiled in the way he often did to say that no thanks were necessary. "Come on, let's get going. We will have to explain everything to the others when we get back."

Alice suddenly was taken over by a vision that made me groan. It seemed that if I returned to the house with the rest of my family tonight, a shoving match would ensue and I could kiss my piano goodbye.

Alice turned to me. "Umm... maybe you should go check on Bella. She might be worried about you anyway," she suggested.

"Problem at home?" Carlisle guessed.

Alice and I answered at the same time. "Rosalie."

(~wdh~)

It was nearly four o'clock in the morning by the time I got back to Seattle and I knew that Bella would have long ago gone to bed. That didn't deter me from wanting to be there when she woke up. Between school and work, I wondered when it would be best to approach her again and had decided that morning was as good a time as any. Truthfully, I'd allowed the unease that I'd felt since leaving her last night guide me. Things would have been a lot easier for both of us if I'd allowed myself to get to know her when we were both enrolled at the same high school, but I wasn't prepared for this five years ago. Part of me had begun to believe that I had to experience what it was like to exist without Bella, without a reason to exist at all, in order to appreciate just how much I needed her in my life.

Having parked a distance away, I now crept silently through Ravenna Park using each of my senses to their fullest capacity. My sense of smell and sight told me that Embry must have taken his wolf form and patrolled throughout the park after the rest of us left. He'd left footprints and broken foliage behind, along with his scent on the ground. His thoughts were noticeably absent, but I moved to the trees anyway in order to avoid leaving a trail of my own right on top of his. If he came back this way again soon, he'd catch my scent even in the trees, but in a few hours it would likely be obscured by rain and wind.

I heard Bella's voice on the air when I was still a few hundred yards away from her apartment building. I stopped and listened more intently, feeling sure that it had been her but doubting that she would be up talking to anyone at this time. The sound came again and I realized that I wasn't wrong. It was Bella's voice I heard, and she wasn't speaking, she was crying.

A series of woeful sounds traveled on the wind and ripped through my stone flesh as if it were wet tissue paper. The desperation of her muffled cries both alarmed me and drained me of all reason. I'd run to the edge of the woods in less than ten strides and was on her back patio before I'd had time to decipher what was wrong with her.

I had no idea what was happening to her, and no plan. I couldn't very well just break in. There was no legitimate way to justify bursting in on her. The thought was inexcusable. In that case, did I knock? If I did, would she hear me? Would she want me here? Or would she think I was an obsessed stalker showing up at this time of the morning?

I was fairly certain she was still sleeping and just having a nightmare, but I couldn't be certain of that given the fact I couldn't hear her thoughts. The rest of my instincts told me that she was alone in her apartment because the only sounds that came from within were her own. However, none of that mattered to me when Bella began shouting.

"Nooo! Stop! Stop, Jake. Please!"

Bella mumbled several times more before she thrashed violently and something crashed to the floor of her room, startling me as it landed in rhythm with her cries. My unusual, but involuntary reaction caused my foot to kick over a barren flowerpot. I looked down briefly to see that some of the dried up dirt had spilled out, revealing a Hide-a-Key buried within. When Bella's increasingly desperate pleas culminated in a blood curdling scream, I stopped thinking and grabbed the key.

"EDWARD! Nooooo! Nooooo!"

Not even ten seconds passed between when her screams began and when I reached her room. The scent there was almost enough to cause delirium, but the desperate pleas coming from the petite form on the bed were sobering.

Bella was on top of the covers, still clad in her slacks and shirt from the day before. Her hair was held back by the same headband and her watch was still on her delicate wrist. It looked as though she'd just collapsed there after I dropped her off.

I stood in the doorway and softly called her name at the same time I knocked on the open door. It was just a formality, but I partially hoped she would hear me and I could avoid causing her any more fear when and if I had to move closer to wake her.

"Nooooo!" she screamed, her pulse beating loudly.

I moved towards her and knelt down next to the side of the bed, calling her name a second time.

"Bella."

I wasn't sure if I should touch her, but decided to try. I could not bear to listen to her scream any longer.

"Bella? Sweetheart? Wake up," I cooed, stroking the back of her hand carefully. She let out a sob, but did not scream.

"Bella? Come on, love. Wake up." She sobbed again, and I couldn't seem to restrain myself. I took her face in my hands and stroked her cheeks with my thumbs. She was so delicate, so very soft and fragile under my unyielding flesh. It took all of my concentration to gauge my touch and keep her safe.

Bella seemed to respond and rolled towards me onto her side. Her eyes were clenched shut and her breathing still ragged, but each inhalation became more deliberate, more controlled. She appeared to be waking.

I continued to hold her face in between my palms and watched in wonder as she relaxed into the hold I had on her. Soon her eyes fluttered and then opened.

"Edward?" she whispered, blinking.

"Hey," I smiled.

"You came back."

"I did."

"Are you alright? I had a dream..."

"I'm fine," I brushed her hair off of her face.

"Gosh, it was so real." Her forehead wrinkled.

"Yousounded quite upset. Are _you _alright?"

"I am now. Are you really here?" she asked reaching up to touch my hair.

"Yes, I'm really here." I chuckled.

"Hmm..." Her eyes closed for a moment and then opened again slowly. She moved her hands to take my own away from her face, looking me in the eyes with a small smile. "Should I be worried?"

I grew more serious. I hadn't thought of my thirst since her screams propelled me forward into her room. "I don't think so. But... _are_ you worried?"

"No." She smiled soundly. "Just surprised. And... curious."

"I came back to make sure you were okay. I heard you... from outside."

"Was I that loud? How embarrassing." She rolled over, burying her face in the quilt beneath her. "Wait! What did I...?" She trailed off and looked back up at me in alarm, her cheeks tinting. She was obviously aware of her nighttime sleep-talking habits.

"You were screaming, Bella. It was mostly incoherent. Why do you ask?" I feigned ignorance, not wanting to embarrass her further.

She exhaled in relief and shook her head. "It's nothing."

_Hmmm..._

"It didn't sound like it was nothing. Would you like to talk about it?" I offered, hoping she would confide in me.

"No. That's okay. It was just a bad dream. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" I asked once more.

"Yeah."

Bella sat up and looked around for a moment. She took a few deep breaths and I was pleased that her heart had returned to a regular pace. It made it somewhat easier for me to be so close to her. But then I sensed her becoming anxious again.

"What happened last night, Edward? What did Sam say? Is everything okay?"

"Sam was willing to listen, for the most part. There is still some distrust and resentment towards us, but I think we worked out an understanding. I'll tell you about it another time."

"Why not now?" Bella asked, looking suspicious.

"There's too much to discuss. You should sleep."

"You're keeping something from me," she guessed.

"Maybe. Maybe not. But the sooner you go to sleep, the sooner you'll get up in the morning and we can discuss it then," I argued.

"Promise?" she asked, yawning.

"I do."

Bella moved as though she were going to rise from the bed, but then became suddenly more anxious.

"Oh, crap!" She scuttled to the other side of the bed and leaned over, groaning as though she were going to be sick.

I stood to see what she was reaching for and saw her pick up two pieces of what was formerly a fairly nice laptop. I gathered that it must have been the source of the crash that had startled me.

"Oh, Bella..." I moved around quickly and sat next to her while she evaluated the damage. She looked like she was going to be ill.

"I am in so much trouble." Her voice was breathy and weak. "Oh... crap..." she said slowly.

"We can get it repaired. Or we'll get you a new one and have all the data transferred from the hard-drive. It will be fine," I said soothingly.

"I have a paper due today," she groaned. "At noon. I should have submitted it last night, but I'm a perfectionist and I just couldn't let it go."

I thought for a moment. "Did you back it up?"

"Not the latest draft."

"Well..." I thought about it for a brief moment. I wanted to take Bella home and pull out her hard-drive to connect it with one of our computers, but I wasn't about to subject her to my family just yet. "I could run home and get few things. I think I may be able to get your files off of it and then you can use my computer to email your paper to the professor. You do submit your work via email, correct?"

She looked at me with a peculiar expression. "Yes. But... It's four o'clock in the morning."

"That's okay. I don't have anything else to do right now. Why don't you try to get some sleep and I'll come back in a few hours." I moved to stand.

"No, no, no. Don't go to any trouble. The old draft will do fine. Like I said, perfectionist." She pointed to herself and I smiled. "I'm sure it will still get a good grade, even if I'm not one hundred percent happy with it."

"Really, Bella. It's no trouble. We have everything you'll need to fix your laptop at my place." I started to get up from the bed.

"Wait, don't go yet. I just... I doubt I'll be able to sleep now. Could you maybe... Would you..." She looked away and trailed off.

"You need your rest, Bella." I gathered from her state of dress and the broken computer that she'd never truly gone to bed when I dropped her off.

"I'm fine," she huffed.

I disagreed and raised an eyebrow at her. "You've had only a few hours of sleep at the most. And part of that time sounded anything but peaceful. Let me go take care of this so you can rest." I took the broken laptop from her hands.

"What about you? You've been up all night too," she asked.

I laughed lightly. "Bella, I haven't slept in over a century."

She was quiet a moment. "You don't sleep? At all?"

"Not at all. Will you let me help you now?"

"I..." She slowly nodded in agreement as she appraised me with her gaze. "Sure, I guess."

She stood up and walked towards her closet with a strange expression on her face. As she disappeared inside and started rustling around I realized she was probably just getting ready for bed.

"Can I get you a glass of water before I leave?" I asked, hoping to have something to do while she went through her nighttime routine. I was going to be sure that she actually got into bed before I left though.

"Sure. Thanks," Bella mumbled walking from the closet towards her bathroom. "The kitchen is that way," she pointed without looking at me.

Her despondent tone had me confused. Was she not happy that I could help her with her computer situation? Did something about my inability to sleep bother her?

I went to get her some water feeling frustrated that I couldn't tell what she was thinking. Her mental silence was going to drive me mad. Instead of getting easier to deal with, it was becoming more exasperating.

I returned to her a few minutes later after waiting down the hall until I heard her emerge from the bathroom.

"Knock, knock," I said, entering her room and consciously choosing not to react to the scent of her blood. I did it before when I was distracted by her nightmare. I could do it again. I could handle this. Mind over matter.

"Come in." Bella smiled tightly and climbed onto her bed. She was now dressed in flannel boxer shorts, a tee-shirt and socks. I gave her the glass of water. "Thank you," she reached out for it once she'd sat down.

"You're welcome. You look more comfortable now." I sat next to her.

Bella blushed and smiled, taking a drink and then setting the rest of her water on the nightstand. She looked back at me with furrowed brows, biting her lip.

"What is it, Bella?"

"Will you stay? Just until I fall asleep? I really don't think I can sleep if I'm wondering where you are and what you're up to."

"You don't trust me with your already destroyed laptop?" I asked, smiling at her nervous request.

"No, it's not that. I just..."

"Is your dream still bothering you?"

"You could say that. Will you stay?" When she looked at me this time, there was a shocking vulnerability in her brown eyes. They were depthless pools that, at the moment, made me feel as though I actually could see her thoughts through them.

_Edward._ _Stay. _

"Okay. I'll stay as long as you want me to."

She flushed and let out the breath she'd been holding. "Thank you."

It took Bella a while to settle. I must have asked her to close her eyes five times before she finally took a deep breath and held her hand out to me.

"What do you..." I trailed off, nervous and quite unsure of what to think of her invitation.

"Like in the car. Please?" she whispered, her gaze not meeting mine. I felt better knowing at least she was timid too.

I moved to meet her request by sliding back and sitting propped up against the headboard. I leaned against it a bit and crossed my legs before offering Bella my hand. Whispering her thanks, she took it and examined it not unlike the way she had at the restaurant. One corner of her mouth drew up into a lopsided smile, before it slowly took over her whole face. She looked up at me from under her eyelashes with a penetrating gaze, her tired eyes holding me captive for an indeterminate amount of time.

"Goodnight, Edward," Bella whispered just before her fatigue finally overtook her.

"Goodnight, sweet girl," I answered, completely wrapped up in the secrets her eyes promised to reveal. I was momentarily lost in an attempt to interpret them, an art I was sure I would never master.

I couldn't be sure, but in the moments we stared at one another, Bella was the picture of complete serenity. It was as though somehow, by some miracle, I brought her peace. And even more miraculously... as Bella drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep while holding onto my hand, I too found a peace and respite unlike any other I'd ever experienced before. I was home.

The next hours were blissful, marked only by the pattern of Bella's breathing and my growing desire to pull her into my arms completely. Only the thought of how cold, hard, and uncomfortable my body would be to her stopped me from doing so. I pictured it repeatedly nevertheless, and wondered futilely if she would truly be as put off by the idea as I imagined. I warred over the images in my mind, but knew that no matter what it would be more than enough to hold her hand each and every night, for the rest of her life.

Shortly before the sun rose, I pulled Bella's hand to my chest and held it against my stilled heart. The heat from her palm and the feel of a pulse in her wrist warmed me considerably. I was marveling at what it would be like to have a heartbeat again when Alice called and broke me from my daydreaming.

I answered the phone, speaking lowly so that I would not disturb Bella. Alice began talking before I could even greet her.

"So, I saw two things you should know. First, you're going to have to bring Bella's laptop to the house. The motor on her hard drive is dead and you will have to physically pull the disk out of the casing and install it in a functioning drive before you can even begin recovery... Although there is some data loss we won't be able to do anything about. I explained what I saw in my vision to Jazz and he thinks that we have everything you need here at home to get most of her documents back."

"Alright, thanks," I said.

"Second thing, Bella has class this morning and if you let her sleep until you get back around eleven, she's going to freak out about missing class and be late for work."

"Okay. So I need to wake her up by when?"

"Um... In my vision, she said something about her eight o'clock class not being a big deal, but that her grade would be dropped for skipping the seminar she has at nine o'clock. Oh, and she really flipped out when you told her you bought her a new computer. So you may not want to do that."

"Wow. That's unexpected."

"She's a handful, isn't she?" Alice asked, the humor evident in her tone.

I glanced at Bella's hand in mine lying nestled against my chest. "You have no idea."

She laughed softly. "Oh, I may have _some_ idea. You did the right thing by going to her and I'm really proud of you. I could tell that her scent was overwhelming. How are you holding up now?"

"Well, I wasn't thinking about it too much until you brought it up," I grumbled, more aware now of the painful ache in my throat than I had been a moment ago.

"Oops. Sorry about that."

"No, I should remain more diligent around her."

"Perhaps... she is somewhat unpredictable, like you said." She sighed dramatically. "As long as there is a threat that the wolves will interfere again and cause the two of you to just disappear on me again, I would appreciate it if you didn't take any unnecessary risks, okay? That's my soon-to-be best friend you're canoodling with."

"Alice, stop it. We're doing nothing of the sort."

She giggled at my protest, irritating me. "Not yet. But I saw some of what you were debating over there little brother, and believe me, you will be."

"Alice. That's enough!"

I lowered the phone to my lap for a moment while Alice prattled on about how she foresaw my relationship with Bella progressing. I really didn't want to hear it. I was embarrassed enough that my sister had been clued in to the private moments I'd spent considering the physical limitations of loving Bella.

I sighed and put the phone back to my ear, out of habit more than necessity. "What time do I need to leave so that I can get back to wake her for her class."

Alice snorted. "I have no idea. You still haven't made the decis-" Her voice cut off suddenly and I chuckled. Sometimes it was fun messing with Alice's visions.

"Oh, okay. Soon. You should leave really soon."

"Alright, then. I'm on my way. And... um, thanks Alice."

"No problem. Oh!" she gasped.

"What? What is it?" My voice came out louder than I intended and Bella stirred at my side.

"Let go of her hand, Edward. You'll break it if you don't."

"What? Why?" I asked, but did as she suggested and released Bella's hand.

Her whole arm slid down my chest, falling onto the mattress next to her. She took a deep breath and her heart rate quickened leading me to believe that she was waking.

"I've gotta go, Alice."

"Eh-" Alice's voice faintly reached my ears just as I ended the call.

I placed the phone back in my pocket right as Bella rolled towards me. She inhaled deeply and sighed. I watched her do it again, almost burrowing into the sheets. The action earned an appreciative smile from me. It seemed that she had discovered my scent in her sleep. As I was drawn to hers, it appeared she was drawn to mine. I chastened myself at the thought, knowing that her unconscious behavior was only an indication that my vampire nature did indeed entice her body. She was human, and as such my scent was meant to lure her. Despite that, I gazed down at Bella in amusement as she nuzzled her way closer to me. It was cute. Unfortunately, she soon reached up and grabbed my shirt in her fist, pulling her entire body flush against my own.

The heat of her body pressed into me was extraordinary, but far, far too much for my senses. The rushing blood, the soft pliable flesh, and the sweet exhalations of her lungs all combined into what could only be described as sensory overload. I leapt up and across the room in less than a fraction of a second, shocked by my body's instinctive reaction to her nearness. There had been a split second when the voice in my head screamed at full volume: N_OW... MINE... TAKE_!

Even here, several yards away, everything inside me was still humming to respond aggressively towards the one living, breathing body in the room. I struggled to regain my composure and could only hope that Bella had not been disturbed by how I'd jumped away from her.

"Mmmmm..." she moaned softly into the pillow that had been behind my back a moment later, moving around a bit and making herself more comfortable. She wrapped up more thoroughly in the covers of her bed and sighed again.

I remained frozen where I stood across the room, terrified of what had just happened. I felt compelled on one hand to get as far away from here as was possible. But on the other hand, I was not eager to leave Bella behind again. Still, it seemed like taking a small reprieve from the constant barrage of her scent would do a lot of good at present. I also wanted to take care of her broken laptop before she had to turn in a substandard paper. I could only guess that she would be worried about it until the situation was resolved and her files were recovered.

I retrieved the broken laptop and leaned down hesitantly, afraid to touch her again.

"Edward." _She speaks,_ I thought to myself and remembering young Romeo.

I smiled, but otherwise stood stock-still. Partially reeling from how I could have killed her only moments ago, I was fearful of what would happen if she were to notice me standing this close to her. Or worse, if she were to try to get closer to me again.

Bella's voice sounded cognizant as she spoke my name, but her body remained steady and calm, telling me she was still fast asleep. I sighed heavily as she muttered my name again. Soon she was thoroughly buried beneath the linens of her bed, humming once contentedly before quieting altogether. Seeing the opportunity to take my leave, I whispered my goodbye before silently departing.

"Sleep well, my love. I'll be back before you wake."

~(~wdh~)~

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**End Note:**

**:-)**

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_I hope you aren't too upset that the face to face between the Cullens and the Quileutes got cut. Sorry about that... but Edward wanted to get back to Bella and testosterone induced machoism is hard stuff to write, let alone write well. Trust me, it's better this way. ;-) Ginnie _


	14. Chapter 13: My Only Exception

**Author's Note:**

_Hello My Lovely Readers!_

_Happy News- My husband is home from his two month stint of active duty in the Gulf of Mexico! I have found his presence to be a bit distracting, but for now I am still able to keep writing and updat__es should continue to come at a regular interval. :D  
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_(Psst... my happy mood may have affected this chapter. ;-) Please be sure to let me know how it's affected you- once you read this installment, of course.)_

_Special thanks to **Katmom, farawaymom** and **JillianLanders** for their services and input. Each of you are so special to me! Thanks and Big Hugs! _

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_**Disclaimer:**_** The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, May 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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**Chapter 13: **

"**My Only Exception"**

I stood beside my parked Volvo waiting under some trees on the University of Washington campus around the time the sun would be at its highest point. Just as Alice predicted, Bella emerged from the academic building in which her last class had dismissed a little earlier than usual; right at precisely 11:43am. She looked relieved to be excused and after a cursory look around, headed immediately towards the bus stop a few hundred yards north of where I stood. I had no choice other than to call after her, unable to leave the shade of the thick trees above where I'd parked. Unfortunately, the fast moving clouds today would make it too risky for me to follow after her.

"Bella?" I called, using a tone that sounded surprisingly more vulnerable than suave. A part of me registered that I was not only mildly afraid of frightening her, or drawing unwanted attention, but I felt a great deal of uncertainty centering around a general fear of rejection.

What if she didn't want me here? My psychic sister and her annoying predictions aside, Bella had told me this morning before she left for campus that she might need some time to process the last twenty-four hours. So much had changed, for both of us.

In response to my voice, Bella slowed and appeared to shake her head before continuing towards the bus stop. I smiled. Perhaps she imagined that she was hearing things.

"Bella?" I called once more, moving a few steps away from where I'd been leaning against my car and being sure to produce enough noise as I walked so that she would hear my footsteps in addition to my voice.

Bella stopped and spun around. Her face wrinkled in confusion when she saw me standing there, but I was rewarded with a small laugh that told me she wasn't unhappy to see me.

"Thought you were imagining things, did you?" I asked playfully, grinning.

She narrowed her eyes a little. "Perhaps, but... waking hallucinations are a bit outside of my particular brand of crazy."

I laughed, genuinely enjoying her sense of humor. "That's good to hear."

She giggled quietly and bit her lip, stopping my thoughts short for a split-second. That habit of hers was very distracting. When she looked back up at me I was staring at her quite openly.

"What?" she asked looking embarrassed.

I shook my head and smiled softly. "Nothing. You distracted me."

She furrowed her brow, looking slightly offended or confused.

"I came to ask you if you would allow me to drive you to work today," I said, changing the subject.

"Oh. Yeah, that would be great," she answered easily. "Thanks."

I gestured towards the car and we walked together silently. It was my turn to feel self-conscious when I opened the passenger door for her and she just smiled at me, shaking her head.

"What?" I asked, mimicking her earlier tone.

She laughed again, sliding into her seat. "Oh, nothing. You distracted me," she parroted.

I stared her down.

"I'm teasing you, Edward. You opened the door for me, that's all. Nobody does that anymore. It was refreshing," she said, gazing up at me sincerely. I smiled, feeling reassured.

Once we were on our way, I reached into the back seat to find the small green and brown deli bag that I'd brought with me. Pulling it forward, I saw Bella watching me curiously.

"I brought lunch for you. I didn't want you fainting or anything."

She took the bag from me with a strange expression. "Why would you think I might faint?" she asked, quietly inspecting the contents of the lunch I'd purchased for her.

"I know you didn't eat much this morning, and I was worried you wouldn't have time to eat before you began working... I'd hate for your blood-sugar to drop suddenly," I answered, hesitant to let her to know how much I obsessed about her overall well-being.

"Well... I'm not quite that delicate," she said. Before I could argue with her, she continued. "But, thank you just the same."

"You're welcome. Now, eat."

Bella raised an eyebrow at my commanding tone, but pulled an apple out of the bag, biting into it loudly. I thought she might still feel self-conscious about eating in front of me, so I turned on the radio to distract her. We were nearly to the end of the ten minute drive to Ravenna Volvo when she finally finished her apple.

"Thank you again for the lunch and also for all your help with my computer this morning. I'm not surprised that it was beyond repair. I have no one to blame but myself."

"Accidents happen. I'm just sorry that you lost so much of your data. Jasper did his best, but it really must have gone flying onto the floor."

"Oh, that was obvious from the way it broke in half. But tell Jasper that I appreciate him trying and not to worry about it. Most everything important was on a back-up drive," Bella said, smiling.

"I was relieved when you told me that. However, I hope you'll re-consider my offer, Bella." I watched her reaction from the corner of my eye.

Her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip again and she shifted in the seat.

"Um, like I said, I'll think about it. But it's really too generous of you, Edward."

"Not at all," I argued. "It would be selfish of me to let a laptop sit around neglected and collecting dust when there are brilliant college students in need. You'd be soothing my conscience, and doing me a favor in the process."

Even after being told that her laptop was more damaged than what made sense to repair, even by vampire standards, Bella was more willing to go without than think about taking a second-hand computer from me. I had to admit that both puzzled and wounded me some.

Since Alice had warned me against trying to get Bella to accept a new computer, I thought maybe giving her my laptop seemed like the next best option. I'd been using it for a year or so and had considered replacing it already. Unfortunately, to my surprise, Bella wouldn't hear me out and had refused any offers of help.

Even when I tried to tell her she could consider it a loan until we could get hers fixed, if that was what she wanted, she still declined and argued it wasn't worth the money. Her reaction to hearing that money was not an issue was not pleasant either. Bella had just rolled her eyes and turned her back on me, announcing that the conversation was definitively over.

Not long after that she'd had to leave for class.

"Are we still on for tonight? Or did you change your mind?" I asked changing the subject.

Time had not allowed her to get ready for class this morning and also have a detailed conversation about the meeting last night between Sam Uley and my family. Bella had been quite adamant that I tell her everything about it, which earned me an invitation to join her for another one-sided dinner date later this evening. Though Bella had requested to stay in and avoid any chance of repeating the scene when she got home last night.

"Did you change _your_ mind?" Bella asked, her voice rising in pitch

"No. I wouldn't miss it for the world," I answered, reassuring her.

Bella smiled, looking down. "Me either," she said quietly.

Sighing, she looked up at the windshield as I pulled to a stop at a red light. We were only a block away from Ravenna Volvo and knew that our time had come to an end for now.

"I know we agreed to see each other tonight, but thank you for letting me drive you today," I said, pulling forward through the now green light.

"Thank you for lunch. I really appreciate that you did that for me." Bella's cheeks flushed as she fingered the deli bag in her hands.

"My pleasure."

We rolled to a stop outside the door of the service department. I could hear Embry's thoughts and found he was in the garage under the hood of one of the cars; a small mercy. Bella gathered her belongings and started to open the door.

"You know we're both completely crazy, don't you?" she said suddenly pausing.

I chuckled. "What? Because of our _dinner_ dates?"

"Well, that... and you're a... and I'm a..." she struggled to explain. "And my closest friends are werewolves..."

"Does that trouble you?" I asked.

"It should, I suppose, and that's why I'm questioning my mental stability right now. As well as yours... I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm really glad that we're both potentially insane, but I just want to make sure that you realize it too."

"I am well aware of the difficulty. If you want me to stay away-"

"That's not what I meant," Bella responded immediately. She looked away and lowered her voice. "I shouldn't have brought it up. I'm sorry."

She started to get out of the car, but I reached across and pulled the door shut before she could move. "Wait."

Our faces were so close together that I had to shut my eyes and lock my muscles in place to avoid closing the distance between us. I swallowed the venom as it began to pool in my mouth and leaned back slowly, trying to shut out the sound of Bella's labored breathing and her racing heart. It took me a moment before I could speak.

"Bella, please... Tell me what you want and I'll give it to you. If you want me here, I'll be here until you wish me away. If you wish me away, then I'll find a way to leave. But you have to tell me what you want. I don't know what you're thinking."

She took a shaky breath and let it out causing her scent to swirl around me. I could virtually feel it wrapping around me like shackles binding me to her.

Her voice came softly, "I... I know I don't want you to go away again."

"But?" I asked, sensing there was more.

"I don't know yet. This is all so much to take in right now, especially right before work."

"I'm sorry."

"I know," she said, blushing. "It's alright. Can I just talk to you about it tonight?"

"I look forward to it."

"You know how to get in, right?" she asked.

I nodded. "I do. If you're sure you don't mind me waiting for you in your apartment."

She shook her head. "I already told you that I don't. I'd rather you snooping through my house while I'm not home than chance Embry seeing you arrive and sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. But if you change your mind, or something happens, just give me a call. You have my number now."

"I do and I will," I answered, secretly still thrilled that she'd wanted me to have a way to contact her.

Bella stepped out of the car and turned to close the door. "Alright then, see you later."

"Bye, Bella," I answered.

She closed the door and waved at me through the glass, smiling.

~(~wdh~)~

I went hunting while Bella worked through the afternoon. I suspected that this would become my new daily routine. Bella's academic and vocational commitments would most likely keep her busy for at least six hours a day. Six hours was almost enough time to be certain that I could go far enough away to hunt and, preferably, to find a predator that would better quench my ever-present thirst. There would likely still be occasions that required me to travel farther and leave Bella for longer, but I pushed the thoughts aside for now. Being exposed to the draw of Bella's blood on a regular basis would require discipline, proactive hunting and careful planning. I hadn't anticipated that she would be so willing to touch me or be close to me either. Her body was a temptation on the same level as her delectable blood, and at the very least, the warmth and softness she exuded only contributed to the siren call.

Trying not to think about Bella's blood or her body, I focused on the feel of the wind rushing past me as I flew through the woods and higher into the mountains.

Esme and Carlisle decided to make the trek with me to the Mount Baker National Forest for my hunt, if only to spend some time with me. Carlisle had been motivated by his concern over the effect of Bella's blood on my control. He was careful to guard his thoughts on the subject, but the relieved "thank goodness" I'd heard in his mind when I made my kill spoke volumes. I'd been quite fortunate to have found a small bear without going too far north, and even I knew that this was a good thing if I was going to be alone with Bella again. Esme seemed to recognize this as well, but the thought was fleeting. She couldn't help thinking more about how Emmett would most likely be quite jealous of me if he knew I'd nabbed a bear this low down and in the springtime no less.

With lighter eyes and a lighter heart, I ran alongside my parents towards home where I showered and changed before needing to leave again for Bella's.

The coast was clear, so to speak, when I arrived back at Bella's apartment building. Once inside, I stood still for a few minutes while holding my breath. I wondered if it would be just as difficult for me this evening as it had been when she'd been so close to me in the car last night. I moved further into her dwelling before taking a large breath and filling my lungs with air. Despite the almost sloshy feeling left over as a result of my earlier hunt, I still felt the thirst burn its way down my throat and impact my gut. I was delighted however to notice that it hadn't caused even a trickle of venom to enter my mouth. Perhaps this was a sign of progress.

It was true that the essence of Bella's blood was present, heavy even, but for once it was not oppressive. Not like it had seemed when I'd first picked up my new Volvo from the dealership nearly three weeks ago. At the time, just that small dose of her scent was enough to wreck me.

I moved towards the kitchen, looking around a little and trying to imagine Bella here. The table was small and plain, but it would seat six and looked to be well-worn. There had been a number of dinners here, but with whom? These were the things I was looking forward to talking about tonight.

The condition that Bella kept her kitchen in gave me new knowledge of her. It was clean and well-organized, with the exception of single basket filled with a jumble mail and miscellaneous items like scissors, tape, some chewing gum, and a CD. It was a clear jewel case, but the disc was turned away from me so that I couldn't see what CD it was without turning it over.

I questioned if Bella had meant what she said about not minding that I snoop around her apartment. I hated to admit, but had she never brought it up, I wouldn't have thought twice about assuaging my curiosity. But now, knowing that she'd already thought ahead about my presence and even imagined how I might spend my time here caused me to pause. Bella had once again placed a great amount of trust in me, and I didn't want to betray her good faith. I wanted to be worthy of her enduring goodness and trust.

I must have stood in front of the basket, feeling drawn to it like a moth to a flame, for some time. The sound of footsteps and keys jingling alerted me to someone walking towards the front door. I stretched out my mental hearing and the lack of a mental presence told me that it was my girl. I took another deep breath to prepare myself mentally before turning to face the door. I moved to the hallway and leaned casually against the wall to wait for her.

The door opened slowly, and as soon as Bella stepped in I was captured by her deep brown eyes. Feeling unable to look away, I could only smile halfway, a sort of lopsided expression that revealed my more self-conscious side.

"Hello," I said, greeting Bella and noticing how her cheeks flushed and her heart sped up a bit in response to my voice. Her lips parted and she started to take an exaggerated breath. After a moment or two she blinked and shook her head a little. I wondered at her every little movement, trying to decide if I had accidentally "dazzled" her, as she'd put it.

"Hi," she finally answered, her voice sounding shaky. Yes, I think perhaps she had been dazzled. She shook her head again as if to clear her thoughts and smiled lightly. "You got in I see."

"Yes, I did. How was your afternoon?"

"It was fine. Busy for a Wednesday. And you? What did you do?" she asked, shedding her jacket.

I smiled at her, but internally grimaced just thinking about how I'd had to spend my day in preparation to help keep her safe from me. "I went hunting."

Bella nodded casually, but the look in her eyes was contemplative, analyzing my answer no doubt. "Hunting..." she whispered softly to herself and turned to hang her coat and bag in the nearby closet.

When she turned back, her little brow was drawn together as she searched my face for something. She opened her mouth and then closed it, her teeth pressing into her bottom lip firmly and having quite the effect on me. Was this what she felt like when I stared into her eyes for too long? It was dizzying, I had to admit.

"What do you..." She started to ask, but paused. I wondered if my rapidly growing obsession with her mouth had been obvious.

"What do I... what?" I asked, trying to get her to finish her thought. I wouldn't have thought my wandering eyes would have lingered long enough for her see, so I assumed she was feeling unsure about asking whatever it was she had wanted to ask.

"It's nothing," she said, shrugging but moving a few steps towards me before meeting my gaze again. "I guess I was just wondering what you mean when you say hunting? I mean, I know what my dad means when he says he's going hunting... but somehow, I think that you do it a bit differently."

I chuckled softly. Her question was adorably perceptive- just so Bella.

"That's an accurate statement," I answered.

"Would you mind elaborating?" she asked.

I frowned a bit when I imagined getting into details with her.

"No? Too scary?" she guessed, scrunching up her nose adorably.

Her face elicited another laugh from me. "It should be terrifying to you, but you never have the right reaction, Bella Swan."

"Well then..." She took another step towards me. "Why don't you want to tell me?"

I sighed. "The details may disgust you more than horrify you. I suppose that I'm afraid of what you'll think," I admitted.

Bella regarded me carefully. "You believe I'll think less of you for having to eat?"

I met her eyes, startled by such a compassionate and earnest response.

Bella just smiled kindly. "We all have to eat sometime." She pointed towards the kitchen behind me. "Like, at some point, I'm probably going to have to warm something up in that oven over there and I guarantee it has meat in it."

I frowned. "It's not exactly the same thing, Bella. I'm a predator... a killer."

Now Bella frowned. "My vegan roommate freshman year would have said the same thing about me. She did, in fact, every time I had a cheeseburger."

I huffed in exasperation. "That's not the same," I said with more force behind the words.

Bella looked at me with her eyebrow lifted and an expression that was clearly unimpressed.

"Well, why don't you come sit down and try to think of a way to convince me otherwise while I warm up some _meatloaf _for dinner."

I rolled my eyes at the way she emphasized the word, but ignored the obvious jab and instead followed closely behind her as she moved past me into the kitchen.

Bella entered the small, but clean room and went about her business as if I weren't there, save the small glances directed my way every so often. She immediately went to the sink and washed her hands before beginning to move around the small room with purpose. First, she removed a large glass bowl from a dish drying rack, followed by the matching lid and then two smaller containers and lids, before placing them all neatly on the counter. Bella then moved towards the refrigerator, pausing only for a moment to flip on the oven before swinging open the refrigerator door and pulling out a small foil covered dish, some lettuce in a plastic bag, tomato, onion, cucumber and a small bag of pre-cut carrots.

Turning around to face me briefly, she smiled and nodded towards the table. "Sit," she ordered and went back to her food.

From my seat at her table, I watched Bella and found each movement fascinating. Each task she completed flowed into the next as though it were ingrained in her; more like a reflex, rather than a conscious decision to act. Her practiced skill in the kitchen was almost graceful. She did trip once while reaching for the trashcan under the sink, but recovered quickly.

"Do you enjoy cooking?" I asked while she washed a tomato.

She glanced at me over her shoulder and smiled. "Yeah, I do. I mean, I've never had much of a choice, but it's something I'm decent at and don't mind doing. What about you? Do you enjoy hunting?"

I shook my head and tried not to laugh at how she just slipped that right in. Taking a quick breath, I tried to find a way to explain. "It's a bit more complicated than just liking it or not."

"How so?" she inquired, now shaking up the glass salad bowl she'd tossed all her cut up vegetables into.

"Well, unlike your father, we obviously don't hunt for sport. Sometimes, it's more of an obligation."

"What do you mean?"

I sighed, smiling for her benefit as she looked back at me. I reluctantly gave in and explained why my family and I hunted regularly whether we wanted to or not. While I did, Bella chopped vegetables and unfortunately, my vampire brain was perfectly capable of measuring the speed, force, and angle of each slice she made, as well as calculating the probability that her hand would slip at any given moment. Despite my unease, I went about trying to describe the ins and outs of vegetarian vampirism as Bella worked. She listened attentively and laughed when I related our diet of animal blood to a human one of only tofu. Returning to the refrigerator she pulled out a container of the offending food product that had been in there so long it was well past its expiration date.

"I guess I can relate in my own way. Not my favorite," she commented before sending the spoiled food down the drain.

A few minutes later, after assembling a salad in the large glass bowl she'd chosen, Bella divided it into three portions, placing some on a plate while the rest into the two smaller storage containers. She placed the plastic dishes back in the refrigerator along with the unused leftover vegetables, and then placed the foil covered dish in the now pre-heated oven. I had positively identified the odor as being that of the meatloaf previously mentioned in the hallway.

Setting the timer for fifteen minutes, she filled a glass with ice water before coming to sit at the table with me.

"So today... did you catch anything worth having?"

I frowned, part of me still rebelling at Bella's cool acceptance. I had to remember that she'd already come face to face with the others of my kind, and in the worst possible way. As she'd obviously made some kind of peace with the existence of vampires and werewolves, I doubted there was much I could say that would shock or horrify her.

"I did," I answered her.

"Will you tell me what it was?" she asked taking a sip of her water.

I shrugged deciding to challenge her calm.

"Black bear." I grinned and waited for her reaction.

She didn't disappoint. Her eyes went wide, pupils dilating, just a split second before she started choking on the water I thought she'd already swallowed.

I rushed to her side, feeling immediately guilty that I'd caused her to start choking. Bella tried to catch her breath and continued to struggle against the small amount of water irritating her windpipe. Tears sprang to her eyes and yet shockingly, there was amusement in them; underneath her sputtering coughs, Bella was laughing.

She finally caught her breath after another fit of cough-laughing, and quieted as she took a few deep breaths. Shaking her head, she tried to explain. "Sorry. I just... that was not... I wasn't expecting you to say _bear_."

"I didn't mean to surprise you so," I apologized.

She laughed. "I know. And it's not like you didn't tell me that predators were tastier, but..."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so blasé about it," I said, my brow drawn together.

Noticing my scowl, she sighed and looked into my eyes. "You weren't. I was just surprised and took a drink at precisely the wrong moment."

"I was testing you."

"So what? I asked. I wanted to know." She leaned forward. "I want to know all about you."

"I want that too," I whispered.

I didn't look at her for a few moments, but Bella sat quietly waiting. It occurred to me that she may not have heard my whispered response to her declaration. I glanced up and implored her with my eyes. "I want to know you too."

Bella's blush was immediate, as was the small smile she quickly straightened. I wondered why she seemed so hesitant to show her feelings when it came to words of kindness or praise. Anytime I made an honest pronouncement of my interest in her, or in her own quality as a young woman, she tried to hide.

Suddenly, and with some slight wobbling, she stood from the table and moved across the kitchen to check the contents of the oven. It had only been five minutes and twelve seconds, so I assumed she was uncomfortable rather than concerned about her dinner overheating. When she finished, she turned around and leaned against the counter rather than joining me at the table. I stood and joined her.

"What is it, Bella?" I asked.

She sighed and fidgeted with her hands. "You've managed to keep me sidetracked all day. First it was my broken laptop and getting to class on time, then it was lunch and getting to work on time, now it's hunting... You were supposed to tell me about the meeting with Sam last night. Are you stalling on purpose?" she asked, eyes down and appearing to examine the lines in the floor with interest.

"No," I answered honestly. "I would much rather hear about you, but I'm not trying to avoid the discussion altogether. There are things you should know."

"Good. I talked to Embry this afternoon anyway, but I'd like to hear your version."

"What did Embry say?"

"He said that it went better than he expected; that things were pretty tense at one point and there were some disputes about territory, but that your family only wanted to be left in peace. He said that, in exchange, you offered to stay out of Olympic National Forest and off of the peninsula until further notice." Bella looked up from under her lashes at me. She looked like a small child, her big brown eyes seeking out confirmation of the truth of her words.

I smiled at her adoringly and nodded. "That sounds about right. What else?"

Bella relaxed a little and held my gaze when she spoke to me. "He said that your family knew all about their situation with this female vampire that has been terrorizing La Push."

I nodded.

"And that you would help them if you could..." She took a deep breath. "Because she was a risk to you as well?" Her eyes were pleading.

"That's true," I said, holding her gaze. Her heart beat rapidly, picking up pace the longer we stared at each other. If it could have, I knew my heart would have been frantic as well.

Bella frowned slightly, but did not look away. "How? Why?"

"This vampire is, as you know, not a vegetarian." Bella's lips quirked up the tiniest bit at the use of our family joke. I couldn't help but acknowledge her humor with a small smile of my own before continuing.

"To preserve our way of life and be able stay in one place for any significant amount of time, we not only avoid entanglements with the rest of our kind, but we also monitor their activities within a few hundred miles of our lands. It is a necessary practice to avoid others of our kind interfering with us, or possibly exposing us. Additionally, there are those in the vampire world who disagree with our lifestyle as it is and if there were a public incident, they might look to place blame unjustly. Because Victoria is becoming more careless and indiscreet in her activities, we'll have to remain diligent."

"Victoria?" Bella asked inquisitively.

"Yes," I answered slowly, taking a moment to realize Bella had never heard that name before. "The nomad's name is Victoria."

"How do you know that? Did you... do you... know her?" Bella sounded upset, her voice becoming unsteady.

I looked deep into her eyes hoping to calm her. "Not personally, no. I've only heard of her. My family met her coven once right after I left Forks. That was apparently before her grudge against the Quileute wolves. Before her coven was destroyed." I sighed and tore my gaze from Bella's. "Before they tried to kill you."

When my voice darkened, Bella stood up taller beside me. "You know about that?"

I didn't answer her aloud, but nodded that I did.

"That was a long time ago, Edward."

"It wasn't so long ago," I brushed her hair back from her forehead, revealing the small scar I'd seen there last night while she slept. Its location matched the injuries I'd seen in Embry's memory of the day Bella was attacked.

Bella looked up at me then and for the first time since I'd known her, an expression of stone cold fear graced her angelic face a moment before it was gone. I moved to stand in front of her and using the same kind of gentleness I would have when handling crystal or silk, I carefully brushed my fingertip down her scar and slid my hand into her hair, wrapping it around the nape of her neck. "I won't let anything happen to you, Bella. I've told you... your life is my own."

Dark brown eyes glistened with unshed tears and fluttered closed briefly as a small smile warmed Bella's features. My hand stung with the heat and electricity that had passed from her skin to mine, and though I ached to pull her to me and hold her body against my own, I resisted.

I groaned too quietly for Bella to hear and let my hand drop to my side. One touch and I only wanted to touch her more. I quickly shut down the forbidden thoughts that urged me on. These impulses were unfamiliar to me and would only destroy the one thing in my existence that had any meaning.

Bella's response to my touch however, was almost my undoing. Her chest heaved with unsteady breaths and her heart raced with fervor as she looked up into my eyes. "Edward..."

She raised her arm slowly, asking permission with her eyes, and lifted her hand to hover just above my heart. At the same time her brow wrinkled together in a silent question that rendered me at her mercy. I locked every muscle in place as Bella's small palm came to rest over where my heart should have been beating.

"Thank you for wanting to protect me... But I'm not the one she's after."

Did she not see?_ Guilty by association, my love. _I thought.

Of course, I didn't voice my fears to Bella. I didn't tell her how much I worried that Victoria would figure out that Bella was important to the wolves and be made to serve as a means to cause them pain. If Victoria ever came across Bella with Embry while they were together, and without the protection of the rest of the pack... I found I couldn't even allow myself to complete that thought.

Instead I concentrated very hard on not using too much pressure to cover Bella's hand with mine. "Do you worry for yourself at all, you silly, brave girl?"

Bella smiled and a quiet laugh escaped with her breath. Then she shook her head and her expression darkened.

"I guess I feel somewhat responsible for what happened. I know it's not my fault, but I still feel like if they hadn't had to save me, then maybe Jacob and Embry never would have had to kill Victoria's mate and the other male. Maybe... if I hadn't been there, it would have been enough just to run them off. Then there would have been no reason for her to come back again and again, and then maybe... maybe no one would have had to die."

Her hand dropped from my chest, her shoulders sagging.

"Bella... you are not responsible for anything that happened to you, or has happened since. If anything, I should have been there to protect you. I should never have left you."

Bella started to say something but the timer to the oven went off and startled her. I suppose I should have offered to manage the time for her, so as to avoid such an interruption, but I hadn't anticipated the direction of our conversation prior to this.

"I should get that. Excuse me," Bella said, politely.

I noticed her hands trembling and decided the last thing she should be doing is reaching into a hot oven.

"Allow me," I said, and had the small dish of meatloaf sitting on the stove top before Bella could find her potholders.

She turned to the sound of the oven and stared. "How did you...?"

I chuckled. "Vampire speed."

Bella shook her head. "You guys should run your own FedEx or something. You'd make a killing."

I raised an eyebrow at the choice of her words, and waited for her slower human mind to catch up with what she'd said. It took a moment, but when her cheeks turned red I saw the realization dawn in her eyes at the same time.

"Oh... um... well you know what I meant," she said suddenly in a hurry to plate her dinner.

Several minutes later, I joined Bella once again at her kitchen table while she tried to eat. She didn't eat very much and spent most of her time either pushing her food around or glancing across the table at me.

"Will you tell me something?" she asked after taking only her fourth actual bite of meatloaf. "How did you just happen to buy my lunch from my absolute favorite sandwich shop today?" she asked.

I had to think for a moment. I wasn't sure if there was a right way to answer this question. Of course Alice had told me where to go. She'd seen a vision of Bella stopping in that particular café earlier in the morning, but when it changed about an hour later, it seemed that Bella wouldn't be stopping for lunch at all.

"A little birdie told me?" I attempted to be coy.

She scowled and gave me a pointed look that was meant to be intimidating. "You do realize that you're going to have to start explaining little comments like that one to me eventually, don't you?"

I groaned internally. "I do."

She sighed in frustration and then brightened a bit. "Is this birdie of yours animated with a habit of bursting into song inexplicably?" she asked smiling sarcastically.

I laughed at her wit. "As a matter of fact..." I trailed off briefly, wondering if Alice would see this. "She can be quite animated and does sing on occasion."

Bella raised her eyebrows seemingly surprised by my answer. "She? Does _she_ have a name?"

"Alice," I answered honestly. What was the point in keeping things from Bella now?

"Alice? Your sister, Alice?" Bella asked.

"Yes. "

"How did she know? I assume she doesn't prefer to eat human food any more than you do."

"No, she doesn't. When I decided that I wanted to make sure you had something to eat for lunch before heading off to work, she made some suggestions."

Bella took that in and pondered my words for a bit before looking at me with an indecipherable expression. "May I ask you something else?"

"Go ahead," I answered, curious.

"Promise not to laugh," she amended quickly.

"I promise."

She smiled, shyly. "Is this innate ability of yours to know things that you shouldn't be able to know... Oh, say, things like what a couple of werewolves are thinking, and where people live, and what their favorite sandwich shops are... Is that a vampire thing? Are all of you psychic or something?"

"Not all of us," I answered with a smile and hoping very much that she would take my response for playful banter.

"So some of you are psychic?" she asked, her determined resolve apparent on her face. So much for playful banter.

"To be honest, I only know of one. Maybe two, depending on which definition you're using," I answered, realizing that mind reading was considered to be a psychic ability.

Bella narrowed her eyes. "Which definition would fit you?"

I searched the immeasurable depths of her brown orbs for any sign of uncertainty. I found none. Still I was unsure how to tell her this part of my nature. Bella never reacted normally, so how could I begin to imagine what she would say? Or worse, if it would change the way that she saw me? What if knowing that there was one more thing that made me even less human finally scared her away?

Seeing my hesitancy, Bella reached across the table and put her warm hand on top of mine. Unlike last night, I did not pull away. "You can tell me," she coaxed tenderly, her face softening.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose before beginning.

"Alice and I both have special abilities. It's relatively rare, but something that happens when some of us wake up to this life."

"Why? What kind of abilities?" she asked.

"We don't know, like I said, it's fairly uncommon. In my family, I was the only one out of five of us that had such a gift, as Carlisle calls them. Of course that was before Jasper and Alice joined us. They are both uniquely talented as well. It was actually Alice's gift that led her to Jasper, and then together they searched out Carlisle and the rest of us. She sees the future. Alice had a vision of our family years before she found us. It was how she knew to look for us in the first place."

"So Alice sees the future..."

I nodded.

"What can Jasper do?" Bella asked calmly.

"Jasper is empathic. He can sense the emotions of those around him and manipulate them as well."

"What does that mean?" she asked, her brow drawn together.

"Well, for instance... If a person is angry, Jasper can calm them down. It they are suspicious of something, our family as an example, he can manipulate that feeling until it's gone. Or he could also amplify those feelings so that they are felt more intensely. The angry person becoming enraged, the suspicious person becoming completely paranoid," I answered. "The effects of his gift are temporary, only lasting as long as Jasper's around. Or until you catch him messing with you and tell him to knock it off." I smiled mischievously at her, relieved to be sharing something about my siblings with her that was more lighthearted and fun than anything else.

"Messing with you?" Bella asked.

I chuckled. "He will, on occasion, play with our emotions to increase the mischief factor in the house. He has a unique brand of humor."

"Hm..." Bella was thoughtful. "How does Alice's ability work? Is she able to 'mess with you' guys too?"

"You have no idea," I answered without hesitation. "She does it all the time."

"So she can just look into your future and take advantage of what she sees? Just like that?"

"No, not exactly. The future is uncertain. Alice sees the outcome of a path a particular person has chosen. Let's say, hypothetically, that you make a decision to play a practical joke on someone. Once you are on that path, she can see the outcome... maybe help you to make the prank more memorable." Bella laughed. "However, things happen all the time that are not planned and that can interfere with the accuracy of what she sees. For instance, if she has a vision of you going to the store, but your behemoth truck breaks down on the way... it changes the future and her visions." I winked at her at the mention of her old truck.

Bella's mouth dropped open a little and she scowled. I guessed that I must have offended her.

"Bella, I'm sorry. I was kidding. I saw your truck outside. It's just amusing to me that it even runs anymore. I didn't mean anything by it." I ducked down to try and see her face, but she looked away. "Your truck does still run, doesn't it?" It hadn't occurred to me until that moment that perhaps the beast was parked permanently in its spot behind Bella's apartment.

Amazingly Bella started laughing and she glanced up at me, rolling her eyes. "Yes, it does. Although I realize that may come as a bit of a shock to you and your shiny silver Volvo."

I frowned at her in jest, which only made her laugh again. This pleased me greatly, the ability to make her laugh. I hoped to take advantage of that skill more often in the future.

When Bella's laughter abated and she caught me watching her, it embarrassed her. She got up from the table and took her plate to the sink.

With her back to me, she took a deep breath and let it out. "Don't think you've gotten out of telling me about your own ability."

"Oh no, I can't imagine you ever letting me off that easy."

She glanced over her shoulder while scrubbing her plate. "So spill... What's your gift?"

"I can read minds..."

The plate dropped loudly in the sink, splashing water over the edge as Bella spun around. She stared at me, not breathing, heart racing, and looking utterly panicked. I couldn't imagine what was going through her head right now that had her so spooked, but I assumed that I'd better qualify my statement and put her at ease.

"...with one exception." I stood slowly watching her digest my words. The telltale crease in her forehead appeared, showing her confusion.

"What exception?" she asked, her voice barely audible even to my sensitive ears.

"You." I stood in front of her, smiling crookedly and waiting for her brain to catch up once again. I knew that it would.

Her eyes widened even more than they already were and her eyebrows shot towards her hairline in disbelief, or surprise. I wasn't sure which.

"Me?"

"You," I confirmed. "I can hear the thoughts of every person in this building right now, except for you."

"So last night... you knew the boys and Sam were here because you could read their minds?"

"Yes," I answered.

"But you can't read mine? You couldn't read it last night either?" she asked, her eyes searching mine.

"No, and no."

"Well, good... but why? Is there something wrong with me?" she asked, now looking worried in a whole new way.

I laughed in exasperation. "I tell you that I can read minds, that I hear voices in my head, and you think there's something wrong with _you_?"

"Well, is there?" she insisted.

"No, Bella. There's nothing wrong with you. And before you ask, I don't understand why you're silent to me. Perhaps you are just unique in all of humanity." I smiled and tapped her nose gently. "Perhaps it's similar to you being a digital signal while the rest of the world is on analog, or vice versa. I just can't receive what you're sending out."

"So..." she narrowed her eyes. "How did you know where I lived last night? I never gave you directions, if you can't read my mind, then how...?"

"I may have Googled you," I lied, hoping to avoid telling her that my brother had done a full background check on her.

Her mouth dropped open a little before she formed a slightly disapproving smile. "Well, I should probably be upset with you for that... maybe?" she shrugged. "But then again... I'm sort of guilty of the same thing." Her cheeks heated.

I raised an eyebrow. This was interesting.

"You've Googled me?"

Dropping her head into her hands she mumbled her answer. "Uh... Yes?"

"And what did you find?"

"Not much," she grumbled.

I debated with myself for a moment before clasping my hands around her wrists and pulling her hands away from her face as gently as possible. Part of me was still terrified I would crush her delicate bones.

"Bella, look at me please." It took her a moment to push aside her humiliation, though she had nothing to be humiliated for—I myself had been spying on her for days. "Bella, were you... were you looking for me?"

I could tell she started to protest but the sound died in her throat. Slowly she nodded her head in the affirmative.

"Why?" I asked, curious.

She began trembling, and I suddenly felt very guilty that I had gotten this information out of her based on my own lie. I hadn't actually searched for her online, even if Jasper and Alice had. The next words out of her mouth made it seem as though she were reading my own thoughts.

"Before I answer that, Edward, I need you to be honest with me about something."

"What is it, Bella?" I tried to sound casual.

"I need you to tell me two things. Please?"

"Okay," I agreed, hoping I wouldn't regret this.

She cleared her throat and made eye contact. "First, I want to know if you ever would have contacted me yourself if Emmett hadn't set us up."

I paused, considering the way I'd felt about everything prior to Bella's phone call on Friday.

"I wouldn't have called your place of work that exact day, no. But... each and every day was agony, Bella. Every minute staying away from you was an effort. I was convinced that I would be the instrument of your destruction if I gave in to my desires and returned. The thought of hurting you paralyzed me."

Bella stiffened and her lips tightened to what looked like a painful degree. I hurried to finish my statement.

"I made a decision five years ago that I was determined to see through. But I was failing miserably, love. I was already looking for a reason to come back for you; I just hadn't found one yet."

Bella's gaze met mine and her bottom lip trembled as she struggled to maintain her composure. I longed to pull her into my arms and hold her until she became a part of me.

"Okay," she answered slowly, her voice cracking on the word. Bella took a deep breath and nodded to herself before wiping the unshed tears from her eyes. She put a hand out to stop me when I reached for her upon seeing her tears. "One more," she said, her voice more steady.

I nodded and dropped my hand.

"What would you have said if Embry hadn't showed up yesterday and you still believed that I was unaware of your situation? Would you have told me the truth this time?"

I answered immediately, knowing the answer certainly.

"I wouldn't have told you that I was a vampire. I would have begged your forgiveness for the events that took place in Forks, including the way that I shunned you after the accident. I would have also pleaded with you to try to understand there were circumstances outside of my control that prevented me from being honest with you at the time. And then I would have asked you if you would consider giving me another chance to redeem myself. I would have asked you for a fresh start."

"Would you have lied to me? Or maybe try to dazzle me into letting the issue go?" she pushed.

I sighed. "I honestly don't know. I would like to think that it wouldn't have been necessary, that we could have figured it out somehow without going to such extremes. But I don't know, Bella." I wondered if this was the wrong answer.

"And you're being honest now?" She didn't sound confrontational, she sounded hopeful.

"Yes."

She stood stoically looking at the floor for a long moment. "I'm glad." I could hear her heart accelerate as she seemed to take a deep breath and hold it before letting it out.

"Bella, please tell me what you're thinking?"

She took a few purposeful breaths before answering. "What am I'm thinking...?" She shook her head, a secret smile teasing me at the same time she mulled over what she would share with me. "I'm thinking that I'm relieved you're being honest, even if I wish that you could have answered my last question differently. I'm also thinking that I'm really glad that you can't hear what I'm thinking, because that would be humiliating... and, mostly, I'm thinking that I owe you an apology."

"For what?" I asked.

"Well, I think I sent you some mixed signals last night and then again this morning, and I haven't been very honest with you," she answered.

I couldn't imagine what she was referring to, or why she was bringing it up now. She looked up and smiled shyly, her whole body trembling from her anxiety.

"Would you like to sit down?" I asked, concerned for her and worried about what she had to say at the same time.

"No. No, I just need to say this. Um, I think..." She inhaled a shaky breath and her trembling grew more pronounced.

"Bella, love, calm down. Whatever it is you can tell me."

"I know... it's just... Last night I think I made it seem as though I'd been holding this big grudge against you for ruining my life or something. But truthfully, I'm not at all the kind of person to hold onto stuff like that. In fact, quite the opposite is true." Her eyes left mine and fell to the floor.

"I've never felt this way about anyone before, Edward. And you... you just bring out these really strong emotions in me. And I just... I just figured that mine was the worst kind of unrequited love, and that I must be obsessed with the idea of you, or with the mystery surrounding you, or something... Because, honestly? How is it possible to care so much about someone you barely knew, or somebody who was kind of a jerk to you?

"And then you just show up one day out of nowhere... after five years, and you say all these amazing and impossible-to-believe things. And you have great taste in music and books, and you open doors..." She laughed and then bit her lip to try and stop herself from crying, but her voice cracked as she continued. "But I just felt like if I showed you how happy I was to see you again... if I let myself _be_ happy that you were really real and not a dream, but that you were actually here- that it would crush me into a million tiny pieces when you disappeared eventually.

"I never could have imagined that you would... _feel_ anything for me. So, I just concentrated on how much your leaving hurt me the first time, and how stupid I was for letting you get to me to begin with."

"Bella..." I sighed, watching the tears escape her eyes along with any hope I may have ever had of doing the right thing and let her live her life without me. Her beautiful eyes locked on mine swimming with more emotion than I thought possible for her small body to contain.

"You said that I had to tell you what I want from you," she said, her voice shaking.

"Yes," I said, aching for her in every possible way, terrified that she might send me away.

"I can't be your friend."

"Okay." My voice was flat.

"I know that was what I said I wanted, but it would be a lie."

"What do you want then Bella? I'll give you anything."

"You. I just want you," she said, placing her palm back over my frozen heart.

And for once I didn't think, I didn't rationalize, I didn't agonize... I felt.

I took a deep breath and moved closer to her, steeling my resolve. "Bella... I need you to hold very still. I want to try something."

~(~wdh~)~

* * *

**End Notes:**

_So, um... I'll just be hiding beneath a rock until next week. __ Ginnie_


	15. Chapter 14: Sway

_**Disclaimer: **_**The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, May 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

**Chapter 14: **

"**Sway"**

"Bella, hold very still. I want to try something."

~(~)~

_Huh?_

Edward had moved much closer, his golden eyes dancing as he stared down at me. They seemed darker somehow than they'd been just a few minutes ago which confused and concerned me.

I swallowed loudly, wondering what he would do next. What did that mean... he wanted to _try_ something?

Before I had time to think about it too long, or even before I could process the motion, I was seated on the kitchen counter with Edward's hands wrapped tenderly around my waist. His fingers were pressed into the small of my back lightly, so lightly in fact that I could barely feel it, yet he'd moved me as though I were weightless.

Instinctively, I reached out and gripped the countertop with both hands to steady myself, but it was unnecessary; the vampire in front of me had made sure I was far enough back to keep from falling.

I looked up into his eyes questioning both how I'd gotten up here, and his intentions. Surely I had to be misinterpreting this? Surely I was mistaken that Edward Cullen was now staring at my lips? But no... Eyes the color of liquid caramel flashed back to meet my gaze and then seemed to darken again before me.

"Don't move," he commanded, sliding his hands off of my body and onto the counter.

My breath hitched and I had to concentrate tremendously not to squirm, or throw myself at him. I allowed only my eyes to move, honing in on what I hoped was about to happen. Truthfully, Edward's mouth was glorious. Luscious. Perfect like the rest of him.

And so, so, very close to mine.

While I was dwelling on his nearness, he moved nearer still, so that our foreheads were touching. . and I could look nowhere but at the two works of art on his face masquerading as lips. I knew that my heart was racing frantically and my breathing was embarrassingly loud but Edward was just right there. So good. So close.

Stupid intoxicating vampire...

Edward hesitated while I drank him in. He took a deep breath that matched my own. To somebody else it might have seemed he trying to calm his nerves, but I imagined it had more to do with my safety at the moment. We hadn't talked much about how this works for him, only that he's in a moderate amount of discomfort all the time. Discomfort that can become downright painful, and the last thing I wanted to do is cause him any pain. So I sat as still as I could, waiting for him to decide, willing him to stop wanting to drink my blood and instead, kiss my body.

I wouldn't have to wait long.

Edward's lips were suddenly and delicately pressed against mine. Cold marble and soft silk, both woven together seamlessly to create a firmness and texture to his kiss that was beyond description. His touch in general was beyond description, but _this..._ the caress of his lips on mine? Holy. Crow. It was the most erotic sensation I had ever felt.

I was certain beyond any doubt, that nothing on earth had ever affected me the way that Edward always had. I knew that he was awakening me to desires previously undiscovered. Even when I'd only ever held his hand in mine, that was obvious.

But being connected to him like this now?

I could feel it in my entire being, from my head down to my feet, even unto the deepest recesses of my heart.

I tried to remain unmoving for him, but the instant that I felt Edward begin to move his mouth against me, I reacted with an enthusiasm that shocked even me. Heat flooded through me and I threw my hands around his neck and into his hair, parting my lips and pulling myself into him seeking more contact.

Unfortunately for both of us, that was the wrong thing to do. Edward stiffened and turned to figurative stone before grasping my wrists firmly but gently to pry my arms from his neck. He pulled away from my lips with no effort at all, and then he was gone.

The sudden empty space in front of me caused my limited human senses some serious confusion, but most especially my sense of balance. One moment I'd been propped up against something, the next moment I was alone on the counter swaying. Trying to refocus my eyes on a fixed point was futile and instead of helping, the action caused a sudden wave of vertigo to hit me without warning.

The next thing I knew I was on my butt on the floor. I was dizzy still, but now my backside hurt where I'd landed. I blinked a few times trying to make sense of the last three seconds, because I was certain that the whole fiasco, from the moment I threw myself at Edward to when I landed on the floor, had taken less than a few seconds. Then, in less time than that, he was back at my side.

Poor Edward looked strained. His face was tense; his eyes were darker and very troubled. He looked like a mournful angel.

"Are you injured?" he asked, his voice rough.

I shook my head. "No, just dizzy."

"Bella, I'm so sorry. That was unforgivable."

My eyes shot to his in defiance. "No it wasn't. I fall down all the time."

He shook his head, arguing with me. "No, it was my fault. I'm just so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault, Edward. I lost my balance. It happens all the time," I insisted.

Then Edward looked into my eyes, and his expression shocked me. The sheer amount of guilt and pain I saw there didn't correspond to what he was apologizing for. He regretted something else as well, something beyond me falling down. I could feel the tears pricking my eyes, as the hurt and rejection washed over me.

"You are in pain. Where does it hurt, love?"

I shook my head again, cursing my stupid tear ducts.

"You regret it. Kissing me. Is that what you're really apologizing for?"

"What? No, Bella! No... Is that what you're thinking?"

I was surprised to feel the electric touch of his skin again. Edward's fingers slid under my chin and tilted my face up to look at him, or rather to answer his question. I couldn't speak but he saw it in my eyes.

With exaggerated slowness, he brought his other hand to rest against my cheek. Without even having to think about it I leaned into his touch.

"Bella..." he said softly and smiled, dazzling me senseless with his now clearly relaxed and unremorseful eyes. "It was harder for me than I imagined... restraining myself. Second to your blood, the thought of kissing you has tempted me more than anything on earth. You've completely besotted me. I just wasn't expecting you to be so... _responsive_ to my advance."

I clenched my eyes shut and dropped my head before breaking out into a fit of breathy laughter. I felt more than heard Edward chuckling with me, he still hadn't let go of my face.

"Oops, right?" I asked.

"Yeah... Oops," he agreed, coaxing me to look up at him. When he was satisfied with whatever he saw in my eyes, Edward sat back. Whatever crisis it was that threatened him moments ago seemed to have passed for the time being.

"You okay?" I could feel my body starting to calm down and wondered about him. My heart was no doubt still beating faster than normal, and I imagined Edward's thirst was affecting him in some way.

He chuckled again. "I think I should be asking you that. How is your, um, backside?"

"It's okay. I've definitely had worse."

"I'm truly sorry that I didn't anticipate you falling. I sh-"

"Don't." I put my hand on his mouth to stop the words before he could say them. "Don't apologize. Please? Let's just laugh about it together."

Edward pulled my hand away from his lips and frowned. "Be careful of my teeth, love. Had I been able to read your mind and see that you were planning on silencing me with this delicate flesh..." He placed a small kiss to the inside of my palm. "I would have stopped you."

"Why would you have stopped me?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"My teeth are extraordinarily sharp, Bella. It wouldn't take any pressure at all for you to cut yourself."

"Oh." I looked down. I did sort of know that already. "And... that would be bad for you because I would bleed?" I asked, fishing for more information.

"Yes, you would bleed... among other things."

"Like what?"

He groaned in exasperation and pinched the bridge of his nose before answering me.

"Well, besides being sharp, our teeth are coated in venom. If you were to cut yourself on them, even by accident, well... that would be very bad."

"Bad how?"

He sighed. "Bella, our venom is highly toxic and causes a tremendous amount of excruciating pain, which renders a victim helpless." He scoffed and shook his head. "As if we needed that advantage along with everything else."

I nodded, taking a moment to consider what he'd revealed. It was consistent with what I'd known about vampires from being around the pack and from Quileute legends, but I had a feeling there was more, something else that Edward wasn't saying. Almost subconsciously, I rubbed the small scar concealed beneath my watch. The memory attached to it reminded me of another element of vampire lore that intrigued me.

"What about fangs? Why don't you have any?" I asked, saving my more complex questions for later.

He laughed at me. "That's just a myth, love. They would be unnecessary anyway."

"Why?"

"Overkill, I suppose."

"Huh..." He had a point. "Okay, then. Steer clear of super-sharp vampire teeth because who really needs fangs when you've got venom? Got it," I quipped.

Edward frowned. "You're going to be the death of me, you know that?"

"What did I do?" I asked, feigning amusement when I was actually a little offended

He shook his head. "You make light of this as if it couldn't cost you everything, Bella. As if your own mortality doesn't concern you."

"And that bothers you?"

"Yes!" he cried, his eyes frantic. "You have no idea how precious you are to me... What it would do to me if I hurt you..."

His head dropped into his hands, his elbows resting on his knees.

"Hey," I said, sitting up to get closer to him. "You won't hurt me."

Edward didn't look at me right away so I reached out to him. When he did meet my gaze it was with a tortured expression.

"You. Won't. Hurt. Me," I repeated. "I trust you. Why won't you trust yourself?"

"You really have no idea what I'm capable of, Bella. I can never afford to lose control with you or let my guard down, even for a moment."

Tears threatened to fill my eyes against my will again. His self-flagellation was becoming too much for me to bear witness to. We both needed something else to focus on for the moment. Edward watched me with his beautiful but troubled face and rose to stand as well.

"Come on, I want to show you something," I said, nodding my head towards the living room.

Edward's brow knit together in a look I was actually growing to love; curiosity. He followed me from the kitchen and waited while I turned on the light in the living room and draw the curtains. When I turned back to face him, he was staring intently towards the far wall.

I followed his gaze to the narrow rectangular accent table placed on the far end of the room. It was covered in pictures of my friends and family, each photograph in frames of various styles and colors that made an eclectic, but homey display. It was one of Renee's contributions to my life here; a project she took on during one of her visits after I'd moved into this apartment almost three years ago.

"See anyone you recognize?" I asked with some humor in my tone. If vampires never forgot, as Edward had said, then he probably saw a few familiar faces.

He looked down on me, smiling gently. "May I?"

"Of course, they're on display for a reason." I frowned as I thought about what I'd just said. "Okay, now I sound like my mother." I laughed quietly to myself, earning a raised eyebrow from Edward before he crossed the room to pick up one of my favorite photos. I explained my comment to him. "My mom, Renee... she put all of this together for me. The table and the frames... I just change the pictures occasionally."

Edward nodded, looking back at the photograph he'd chosen, studying its contents. "Jessica Stanley?" he asked.

"Yup."

I waited for the inevitable questions to follow. What would he ask first?

"And the little girl?"

I smiled. "Caroline Stanley Newton. Jessica's daughter. She's three and a half... That was her birthday last September. She's really into ballerinas."

Edward tilted his head to the side a small lopsided smile appearing as he did so. "Newton?" he asked, his tone amused. Smart vampire...

"Yes. Mike Newton is Caroline's father. You can see it in her eyes, right?" Edward hummed in agreement. "That overly innocent smile is his, too. But... her face and hair are all Jess. Except Caroline's curls have a lot more gold in them than Jessica's do."

"A living breathing Goldilocks," he mused, looking at me now rather than the photo.

I nodded. "Mike calls her that. Jessica hates it. We call her Care-Bear for short."

"You sound very fond of her."

"I am. She's a sweetie, even if a little too much like her mommy these days."

Edward raised an eyebrow in question.

"Bossy..." I explained with a smile.

"So Jessica lived here with her daughter, and Mike?"

"No. Mike and Jessica split up a while ago. Jessica asked to come to stay here for a couple of days after everything fell apart between them because she and Mike had been living at Mike's parent's house at the time. It was a mess. You can well imagine how it is in a small town like that; everybody getting involved in your private family issues and voicing their opinion on your personal life? Jessica wanted out, and I could understand how she felt. So, Angela and I asked her if she wanted to live with us, move to Seattle, you know... get out of Forks for a while."

"Angela Webber?" he asked, looking back to the table. Edward put the photo of me with Jess and Caroline down, then picked up one with Angela in the frame. "This is Angela now?"

"Yes it is. She's really beautiful, isn't she?" I commented. She was, too. The girl had blossomed after high school, her gangly awkwardness long ago replaced by runway worthy looks. Of course, she'd already had the height even when Edward had known her.

"She's lovely, but I wouldn't call her beautiful." Edward put the frame down and I stared at him with my mouth gaping. He chuckled when he saw my face and touched my chin once. "At least not with you standing here in comparison."

It took no time at all for my cheeks to flame and my mouth drop back open. I didn't think that Edward was the kind to tease about something like that; he seemed much too polite for that sort of thing. Still, he had to be joking and it made me frown in disapproval. "I think you need your eyes checked."

"My vision's perfect. You are stunning, Bella. Beautiful beyond what mere words can convey."

I snorted before trying to turn around and show Edward what it was we came in here for- and it had not been to look at a bunch of pictures.

"Bella." He stopped me, his hand wrapped gently around my bicep. He hadn't even needed to pull, the solid breadth of his hand was enough to stall my forward motion. Then again, the tingle of his skin on mine at the point where my shirt sleeve ended was sufficient to make me want to stay put. "Bella, look at me please?"

I did as he asked, turning to back to him at the same time.

"What's the matter? You don't think you're beautiful?"

I blushed again.

Why was he doing this? Wasn't it enough that he was ethereal and inhumanly perfect? He had to point out that I was not?

"You are," he said, his musical voice resolute.

I shook my head, biting my lip. Not because I was disagreeing with him just to be contrary, but because... well, what was I supposed to say to that?

"Bella, look at me." I found that I was helpless not to. "You are," he repeated.

I felt Edward close the small distance between us, his body suddenly less than an inch from mine. He towered over me, and unlike the giant-sized boys that I was used to, there was no intense heat radiating off of him. Instead there was the same hum of electricity I'd felt when I held his hand or when he grazed my cheek with his fingers. It made me think of how that feeling had exploded when he kissed me and I wanted to kiss him again, but had no idea how to ask. After the whole venom conversation, I was fairly sure just going for it was not a good idea.

His eyes were on mine and I almost prayed for him to dazzle me. At least then I wouldn't be aware of how self-conscious I was. I did the only thing I could think of and ducked my head into his chest, locking my arms around his waist and hugging him. His body was harder than I expected, more defined. I could feel every muscle and was very aware that he was not moving a single one. But I didn't let go. I knew he wouldn't hurt me. I felt safe in his arms, or at least I would if he would trust himself enough to hug me back.

Eventually Edward relaxed, and when he did my body seemed to mold to his perfectly. He raised his arms and wrapped them around me, one hand coming to rest on the back of my head, cradling me to him. I was right; it was very secure here in his arms.

He sighed quietly and I felt something brush the top of my head. I discovered he had rested his chin there when I peeked up at him a few moments later. He felt me twisting my head up and moved to gaze down at me, our eyes locking. I got lost in the feel and smell of Edward. It almost paralyzed me there in his embrace.

"Is this okay?" I asked, finding that my mouth was at least capable of moving.

"It's wonderful," he answered. "Thank you."

"For what?" I lifted my chin further to get a better view of him. He leaned back slightly, putting a bit of distance between us.

"For trusting me. For everything. This..." He tightened his arms around me ever so slightly. "This is everything."

I smiled bashfully, swallowing the lump in my throat. Edward answered my smile with his own, the crooked one that I'd come to love so much in the last twenty-four hours.

"It is for me too," I finally managed to whisper.

"This is wrong." Edward slowly released me from his embrace and stepped back. My hands remained on his hips and he didn't attempt to remove them, but his mood had changed considerably.

"What's wrong?" I asked. _Now... _I thought to myself.

"You have a life. You have people in your life, people you love, who love you too." He slid his hands into mine and then pulled me in front of him facing the table covered with all my photographs.

"Your father, yes?" He pointed to a shot of Charlie taken a few years ago. I nodded.

"And this must be your mother? And Phil?"

My head whipped around. "How did you know that?"

Edward chuckled. "Well, you resemble your mother. And you told me she had married someone named Phil. I made an assumption."

"When did I tell you that?"

"In biology. About five years, three months and four days ago."

I gasped. "You remember the exact day?"

"Yes. It was January 24th, 2005. That was the first time I spoke to you. The memory sticks out a little. I tried so hard to figure you out. I thought by getting to know more about you, I might find a reason to keep you alive. I was still afraid that I might give in to the lure of your scent back then. I apologize for that."

"You can't apologize for something that happened so long ago, Edward. The statute of limitations has expired, okay?"

He frowned and shook his head. "You're too forgiving."

"Maybe. But as far as I'm concerned there's nothing to forgive. And even if there was, forgiveness is mine to give freely."

He shook his head and looked back to the table. "I need to ask you if you are sure that this is what you want, Bella. If _I _am what you want..." He trailed off and then gestured to the photos in front of us. "You have a full and happy life. You deserve someone that can add to that, not take away from it."

I didn't like the direction this conversation was taking at all. I turned slowly, giving him time to put some space between us if I was too close to him. He didn't.

"Edward, appearances can be deceiving. Don't assume you know anything about how full or happy my life is from a bunch of snapshots. There are a lot of things about me that you don't know; things that might make you change _your _mind."

"So you haven't had a happy life? Is that what you're trying to convince me of?" he asked, challenging me.

I rolled my eyes. "No, that's not what I mean exactly, but nothing is black and white. I'm happy, I guess... but if you think that I have this amazing life because of some pictures on my coffee table, then you're mistaken."

I fought with the emotions that simmered so close to the surface, thinking of how unlike those pictures my life seemed to me most of the time. Having Edward here now made it blaringly obvious to me just how empty I'd felt only days ago.

"Are these people not your friends, your family?" he asked, such innocence radiating from his expression.

"Of course they are. But you're making some pretty big assumptions here, Edward. I have my parents, yes... and they love me, they'll always love me, but I'm a grown adult now. They raised me the best that they could, and now they've moved on to the next phase of their lives. To be honest, I think they kinda expect me to do the same." I shrugged and tried not to notice Edward's frown deepening.

"They've moved on?" he asked, his voice growing dim.

"Well, not like that... They're always there when I need them, but I don't need them very often anymore. If anything, I've been the one to take care of both of them, for as long as I can remember. First my mom, then my dad."

Edward looked at me with an expression I didn't quite understand. "What about your friends?"

"My friends are great. I guess. I really only have a few. And they all have their own lives..." I frowned, the thoughts that only ever found me in the dead of night making themselves known now. "But everybody has friends right?"

"Surprisingly enough, that's usually true," Edward remarked and then stroked my cheek lovingly. "So then tell me, how in the world did you become friends with Jessica Stanley?"

I laughed. "What? Did you think we _wouldn't_ be friends anymore?" I asked, a sarcastic lilt to my voice.

"No, I guess I didn't to be honest. But then... I was privy to Jessica's thoughts five years ago. I know how selfish she used to be; quite the opposite from you."

I felt my cheeks heat a little and sighed. "Yes, Jessica can be fairly self-involved. But she needed a real friend and I was there when no one else was."

"I assume you're referring to when she got pregnant?"

"Yes."

"And how did you manage to get involved in that situation?"

"Well, Jess and Mike were dating senior year, obviously. I'd gotten a job at Newton's Outfitters the summer before, and so Mike and I were friends of sorts. We all hung out together occasionally, and he used to talk to me sometimes at work about stuff. I happened to be there over Spring Break when Jessica called him with the news. He didn't say anything at first, but he was acting really weird and Jessica was putting Lauren Mallory to shame with her bitchiness... So eventually I asked him if everything was okay, and he broke down and told me.

"It was a few weeks later when the rumors started. Pretty soon the whole school was talking about Jessica behind her back and one day I finally had enough. Mike wouldn't stand up for her and Lauren Mallory, who was supposed to be Jessica's best friend, made some really cruel remark in front of a lot of people and I lost it. I made a horrible scene in the cafeteria and almost punched Lauren in the face before it was all over. It was awful, and Jess and I were both humiliated after. She was pretty mad at me for a while and I deserved it."

"I doubt that," Edward commented.

"Well, she was the talk of the town after my little speech. Even the Chief came home and asked me about it one day. He was proud of me, but that was when I realized that I hadn't done anything but bring more attention to Jessica. So, I went to her house and apologized. She cried. Then I sort of did too. We ate lunch together after that. Eventually, Angela joined us too."

"And the rest is history, as they say?" Edward guessed, thumbing my cheek again and making me smile.

"Yeah. About a year later, Ang and I moved in together after we both had horrible experiences living in the dorms freshman year. We found this place and took out an ad for a third roommate, but she moved out as soon as the initial lease was up. The timing worked out really well for all of us because we needed a new roommate and Jess needed a place to live away from Forks. Anyway, that was two years ago and now they've both moved out on me. Can you believe that? First it was Angela... then Jessica. She just left on Saturday, did I tell you?"

"No, I didn't realize. You miss them, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. I mean, it's nice to have the peace and quiet, but it's almost too much."

"Why did Angela move out?" he asked.

I smiled and pulled the small drawer in the front of the table open. Inside was a picture I hadn't bothered to put in a frame yet, though it truly needed one.

"She married Ben Cheney on New Year's Eve just this past winter." I handed the photo to Edward.

He took it with a wistful expression, glancing at the happy couple only for a moment before his eyes were on me. "Lucky man."

I looked down, nodding in agreement.

"And Jessica and Caroline? Where did they move to?"

I laughed under my breath. "Norfolk, Virginia. She's getting married in few weeks as well. Her fiancé is stationed there. A Navy man."

"Really?" Edward sounded surprised and I wondered why.

"June 12th," I confirmed, looking up at his perfect face.

"Are you attending the ceremony?" he asked casually.

I grimaced. "I am, unfortunately. Jessica asked me to be her Maid of Honor. I have to wear heels. On the beach."

"The beach?" he wrinkled his brow in confusion.

I nodded. "It's a seaside wedding. The ceremony is going to be outside."

"I see," he said, grinning down at me.

"Do you now?" I raised an eyebrow, noting his amusement.

He chuckled and handed the photograph of Angela and Ben back to me. I hadn't realized he was still holding it. After placing it back in the drawer I cleared my throat and took a deep breath, nervous all of sudden.

"So I wanted to show you something..." I began.

"Ah, so we came in here for another reason then?" he asked, teasing.

I smiled and shook my head at him. "Yes. Turn around, silly."

There in the opposite corner of the room, was my mother's old piano. It was nothing fancy, a secondhand upright that she'd had for years before Phil finally bought her a baby grand for their fifth anniversary. The old instrument had a good amount of wear and tear, and a few keys didn't sound. But there it was, just waiting for someone to play it.

"You walked right by it when we came in here. It was my mother's until about a year ago. She had it sent to me because I was always fond of it, but I don't play," I explained.

Edward stared at the piano for a long moment before turning to me. "Your mother had it sent cross country for sentimental reasons?" he asked, and then quickly added, "I don't mean to be rude, Bella. I just want to understand."

I smiled. "No, that's alright. It's a valid question." I took a quick breath. "Umm, I just really didn't want Renee to get rid of it. I had good memories of her playing for me when I was little. And when, like all parents do, she forced me to take lessons, this was what I attempted to practice on. I don't really know why I had to have it, I just did."

The silence that fell over the room was oppressive and I shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. I had hoped maybe he would play for me, but now I didn't know how to ask.

Finally, Edward moved. When he spoke, his voice was very soft. "Did you ever think of learning to play? Perhaps taking lessons?"

"I _thought_ about it," I admitted, hesitantly.

He smiled gloriously. "I could teach you, if you like."

I was momentarily stunned, struggling to find enough breath to answer. "I... I think I would like that. At least, after I finish finals and graduate." I smiled, my cheeks flushing with color for some unknown reason.

Edward, took my hand and kissed my knuckles gently. "Just say the word. I would be honored."

His golden eyes danced and looked down on me with such affection that I felt my emotions starting to get the better of me. I pulled on Edward's hand and led him closer to the piano as a distraction.

"Umm... First, we'll have to get it playing properly and I'm sure it needs to be tuned."

"I can do that for you, too. If you don't mind."

He sat at the bench and had the keyboard open before my sight caught up with the movement. Not a second later, out of tune notes filled the air.

I laughed. "That has got to be offensive to your ears. It bothers me and I have no idea what I'm talking about."

He chuckled, finding the keys that refused to play and testing them out. "Well, I will admit to being a bit of a snob when it comes to music, but this is actually a fairly nice instrument. Or it was, in its day. It just needs a little TLC."

"Thank you for doing this," I whispered, feeling overwhelmed again. He stopped tinkering and looked up at me, his eyes filled with an unidentifiable passion.

"I already told you, I'd do anything for you, Bella."

His eyes burned into me. I felt dizzy.

"Not to mention," he pulled me down, seating me across his lap so quickly that I barely had the ability to be shocked by it. "...this is something I will very much enjoy doing. I feel horribly selfish in fact, being that I'll benefit from fixing up your mother's old piano more than you will."-

I sighed and rested my head against his shoulder. "You'll play for me then? When it's fixed?"

"Of course I will, but that's not what I meant," he whispered into my ear, sending shivers down my spine and back up again.

I gulped. "What did you mean, then?"

He sighed, his nose skimming the skin near my temple. "You've given me both an opportunity to do something special for you, and an excuse to see you on a regular basis. To share my favorite compositions with you... To sit next to you... To touch your delicate hands..."

He lifted them both and kissed each palm tenderly. I sighed, a small whimper threatening to escape.

"You don't need an excuse, Edward. I want to see you," I whispered. "And for all you know, I may be a horrible student. You may come to regret this."

"Never. Quit if you don't take to it, or don't like it... I don't have the words to tell you what this means to me. I feel like you did this amazing thing for me before you even knew I was coming. It feels like fate somehow, and I never before imagined fate to be kind, let alone generous."

I pondered his words, and while they moved me, they also troubled me. I suppose in his experience fate had never been kind to him. Edward was a vampire for crying out loud, and he hated what he was, that much was obvious. And yet... If he'd never become what he is now, I never would have met him.

After living with Angela, the God-fearing child of a dedicated minister, I'd come to adopt her personal belief that fate was just another way we defined the concept of a higher power. She believed that all humans are pre-destined to do certain things, or fulfill a specific purpose. That our destiny was our purpose on the earth and it was also the life endowed to us by our creator. While I still wasn't so clear on the creator part, I liked that idea of pre-destination better than the image of a trio of wretched harpies playing with our fates on a whim.

I wondered if Edward had ever considered much of his future destiny, or had he considered his fate sealed long ago by the events of his past.

"I think sometimes..." I began. "Life has a way of blessing you when you least expect it. Sometimes, just when you think all is lost, more good comes your way than you ever thought possible."

I lifted my head to find Edward gazing down at me with shining eyes. He held me like that, unmoving, for an indistinguishable period of time.

I only became aware that any time had passed at all when my body decided I needed a moment of privacy. I realized only then that I hadn't been to the bathroom since before I'd left work.

Somehow I managed to tear myself away from Edward's arms and ask for a human moment or two without turning ten shades of red. He politely offered to take a thorough look inside the piano and do whatever he could tonight in order to determine what he would need from home. He seemed quite certain that he wouldn't have to purchase anything for the repairs, but told me to take my time upstairs and he'd let me know when he was finished.

Once I got to my bathroom, I decided there was no way around the fact that I needed a shower- desperately. I had to be up early for work tomorrow and if I didn't shower tonight, I would only have to wake up earlier in the morning. I felt a bit self-conscious about Edward being alone downstairs the whole time, so I rushed through my nightly routine as fast as I could without injuring myself. As it was, I almost slipped in the shower while shaving. Stupid body wash...

I ran back to my bedroom and into my closet, choosing a layered tank top and a pair of almost brand new yoga pants that Jessica had insisted I take when she moved out. They were too long for her even though they were a petite, and thankfully, they were much nicer than the ratty pajama pants I usually slept in. Last night I'd been too tired to care that I had worn short shorts in front of Edward, but I would not be repeating that trend anytime soon. I was nervous enough around him to be worrying about giving him a free show if I bent over the wrong way.

Just before heading back downstairs, I put my watch back on and grabbed my towel to hang it back up in the bathroom. I was still running my hairbrush through my wet hair when I heard Edward's voice calling my name. He was at the bottom at the stairs, looking adorably unsure of himself, until he saw my smile.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but you've missed a couple of calls on your cell phone."

"Oh, okay. Thanks."

"Bella? Embry lives nearby doesn't he?"

"Yes..." I answered, wondering how he'd known.

"I can hear him. His thoughts. He's worried about you again. I think you should probably call him back right away."

I sighed. "Thank you, Edward. Oh," I practically shrieked as he suddenly appeared before me. It took me a moment to realize he was holding my cell phone out to me.

"I hope you don't mind." He looked a little sheepish.

"No, not at all. Thank you. Just give me a minute to talk to him."

"Of course, I can wait downstairs, or-"

"Don't be silly, just have a seat. This will only take a second." I gestured to my room. "Besides, you'll hear everything anyway, right?"

He smiled.

"Right, like I said." I rolled my eyes.

I called Embry back and Edward disappeared like Speedy Gonzalez. When I peeked inside my bedroom a moment later, I found him lying on the bed with his back against the headboard and his hands crossed behind his head.

I wondered where the tentative Edward had gone, the one who had waited at the bottom of the stairs only moments ago. Or the one who seemed so afraid of spooking me earlier tonight. For some reason my vampire now appeared more comfortable letting his guard down, showing some of the less human things about himself.

I realized at that moment how much I liked that. God, I was such a girl!

"Hello? Bells?" Embry's voice came through the phone snapping me back to reality. He did sound worried.

"Hey, Em. What's going on? Did you call?"

"Yeah. Twice. Where are you?" he asked quietly. If I knew him, he was looking out his window to see if he could see my lights on.

Edward frowned and I wondered if I was right.

"I'm at home. I was in the shower when you called. Why? What's up?" I asked innocently.

"Uh, okay... Well, for one, you never say, _'what's up?_' So why don't you tell me?"

_Err..._ I internally growled.

"Okay then, how about... What do you want?"

Edward raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

Embry chuckled once. "I was just calling to check on you and see if you heard from Cullen tonight."

"And why would you think that?" I asked. Edward shook his head, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Why do you think that I think that?" Embry asked.

"Huh?"

"You know what I mean." I could tell he was smiling now. "Come on, Bells. It's me... talk to me."

"I know," I said quietly. Normally I might have wanted Embry's opinion on this, just not tonight. "But honestly? What do you want to hear, Embry?"

"The usual. I want you to tell me the truth, the stuff you usually hide from everybody else."

I didn't answer for a long moment, fidgeting and trying to decide what to say when this wasn't really a private conversation. I turned my back to Edward, but heard a small grunt come from him before Embry started talking again.

"B... I want you to tell me why a vampire was looking at you like you were the sun, the moon, and the stars, rather than something to eat."

_Crap..._

"Em..."

"Well, if you don't know the answer to that, then maybe you can tell me why you were looking at him the same way?"

I sighed. I had no idea what to say to that.

"Look, Bells. It's still just me... We've always had each other's backs. Talk to me."

I turned around and climbed up on the bed, kneeling next to Edward in a near panic. I gave him my best "Help me" face. This he apparently found amusing.

I tried to think fast.

"So... if I tell you that maybe, just _maybe_, you're right. And hypothetically speaking, I might have looked at Edward like you say that I did... then what? What would you say?" I asked.

Edward raised his eyebrows at me, causing me to mouth a snarky response. _"What else am I supposed to do wise-guy?"_

Edward laughed while Embry cleared his throat uncomfortably on the other end of the line.

"Well, B, I would say that you're hypothetically crazy. But... I know you well enough by now to know that you won't _do_ anything crazy."

"Define crazy..." I said.

Embry laughed uncomfortably. "Oh, I don't know? Maybe like... changing teams," he said.

I didn't understand.

Edward leaned forward, his eyes tight. "Becoming a vampire," he whispered into my free ear.

I stared at Edward dumbfounded, and quickly muted the call. "Is that even a possibility?"

"Absolutely not," he answered immediately, his face angrier than I'd seen in five years.

I leaned back from him a little. "Relax. I didn't know."

Edward sighed and softened his expression, though his face still held a trace of anger.

"I'm sorry, Bella. But you can go ahead and tell him that it's not an issue."

I nodded anyway and turned my attention back to the phone.

"Bell-lah!" Embry was hollering now.

I un-muted his call and apologized. "Sorry, Em. Can you hear me now?"

"Yeah, what happened?"

"Uh... I guess the call cut out for a second. Sorry."

"So, then what was the last thing you heard?" he asked.

"Um, something about teams," I answered.

"Yeah. So..."

"So what?"

"Do I need to worry about you running off with the enemy?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, Embry. I'm not going anywhere. I have work and school, and I know that Edward's not going anywhere for a while. So you can relax."

He snorted. "I don't think I can relax if Edward," he said it with an over-the-top English accent. "...is going to be sticking around. What if he decides to turn you into one of them?"

Edward was already shaking his head, his face severe. I reached over to squeeze his hand in a show of support. I wasn't going to engage either one of them on that issue tonight.

"Would you feel any better if I told you that I have Edward's assurance that it's not an issue?"

"You mean you guys have already talked about it? Jesus Christ, Bella!" he shouted. It was very unlike him to react so strongly and I knew immediately that things last night must have set him on edge.

"There was no discussion, Embry. I've just been told not to worry. It's not an option." For some reason, I found myself scowling at Edward having said that. Why wasn't it an option?

"So then, you have talked to him since last night I guess..." Embry asked, his usually shy nature returning.

"Yeah. I have."

"And?"

"And..." I took a deep breath, and smiled halfway, embarrassed. I could already tell I was going to be bright red by the end of this conversation. "He's amazing. He's nothing like what you would expect, Em. And... I think you'd kind of like him."

Embry started laughing hysterically and Edward was smiling.

"What's so funny?" I asked, the question was directed at both of them.

Embry coughed out a response. "You!" he gasped. "I always knew this day would come. You've officially lost it."

"Embry," I warned.

"No, seriously! You have got to be kidding me, B. Yeah, alright, it's the Cullens, not Super-Bitch-from-Hell, but still... We're born for the sole purpose of killing them, you know this. You can't expect us to like each other. It goes against nature or something."

"Yeah, whatever..." I sighed. "Just promise me you'll be nice. Even if your instincts tell you to go all Cujo on him... Be nice? For me?"

Embry swore under his breath. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but... You really like him, don't you?"

I gazed into Edward's eyes, any amusement he held earlier now vanished. He whispered for me to speak carefully and gave my hand a meaningful squeeze.

"He's important, Embry. I don't know how else to explain it to you. Just that he is."

Edward's lips turned up a bit, causing my face to heat again.

"Do you think he can really catch this Victoria, I think he said her name was?" Embry asked.

I sighed and stared at Edward while answering. "I don't know. I'm sure that he could, but I hope he won't have to. Maybe she'll fall off the face of the earth."

"Not likely, "Embry said quickly.

"Yeah, well a girl can dream, can't she?"

"Speaking of which... how are the dreams? I bet their back now, aren't they?"

Edward's eyes flashed and he looked at me with both interest and concern.

"Yes... they're back."

"Bad?" he asked.

"No, not so much," I lied.

"Liar. Are you okay?"

I sighed, but smiled for Edward's sake. "Yeah, I am. Thanks though, Em."

"You know I love you, B. I just hope you know what you're doing."

I rolled my eyes, even if he couldn't see me. "I'll be fine. I love you too, you know. Sorry I worried you last night."

"No problem. That's what Guardian Wolves are for..."

"Ha, ha... I'm going to bed now, Embry. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Bells. Be good."

"You too," I said softly.

The call disconnected and I stared at the phone in my hand for a while. It became obvious that vampires were ridiculously good at being still and silent. I knew I'd crack before Edward, and I did.

"So..." I started, quietly wondering what he was thinking. I tried to guess if he could still hear Embry's thoughts, and if so, what was Embry thinking?

"How did I do?" I asked.

Edward raised my chin to look at him. "You did very well."

"What's he thinking now? Can you still hear him?"

Edward nodded once. "Yes. He's worried about you. He's quite accurately guessed that I'm attracted to you, though he has misjudged the depth of my feelings by an alarming degree. The prospect of my attachment to you frightens him."

"Why?"

"He's worried that I've decided you should be my mate and that I'll try to make you one of us. Even more than that, he's afraid that you'll accept." Edward's voice had a strange tenor to it, it was dark and full of... regret?

"That upsets you," I guessed.

"Yes. I would never ask you to sacrifice so much to be with me. I realize that Embry doesn't know anything about me, but it's upsetting just the same."

"Which part?" I asked, the words just flying out.

"Which part, what?"

I looked at my hands, fidgeting under his scrutiny. "Is it the mate part, or the being like you part that bothers you?"

"Bella," he admonished. "Of course I only meant that I would never ask you to give up your life to be with me. I want you with me. Even if it's the most selfish thing I've ever done, I want you. But your human life, your _soul_, is not up for negotiation."

"Oh."

I needed a minute to think about that. I wasn't sure whether to jump for joy that Edward wanted me, or to get pissed off that he was making decisions about my life without asking me how I felt about it. Not that I knew anything about how one became a vampire, beyond getting bitten. But it seemed even that wasn't a sure thing. The stories made it seem like a bite could just as easily kill you, but it was obvious that there was a way. If there weren't, neither Embry nor Edward, would be worrying about it.

Why did the men in my life always think they had a say in my decisions by default?

"You two are much closer than I expected," Edward finally spoke, breaking the silence.

I smiled halfway. "Like I said last night, we get each other."

"So it seems."

I looked up to find Edward squinting.

"Does that bother you too?" I asked.

He seemed to think about it for a moment, then smiled shyly. "Maybe a bit, if I'm being honest."

"Honest is good. And... kind of cute."

"Cute?"

"Uh huh..." I was nervous again. I began chewing on my bottom lip trying to decide what to do, what to say.

"Come here," he said suddenly, picking me up and repositioning me so that I was sitting in his lap. Oh, yes... tentative Edward was gone again. This new Edward stroked my cheek tenderly and then rested his palm there. "Did you just call me cute?" he asked, amused.

I nodded, blushing further, and causing Edward to suck in a breath.

"Your blush is heavenly, Bella. So beautiful..."

I shook my head. "You'd think I would have outgrown that by now."

Edward stroked my cheek again with his thumb and then ran his nose leisurely along my jawline on the other side, from my chin to my ear. "I'm glad that you didn't."

I swallowed loudly, causing Edward to chuckle softly. He kissed the spot just below my ear and I instantly turned to jelly in his arms. As if he was well aware of that fact, he wrapped those well-muscled appendages around my back and lowered me until my head rested in the crook of his elbow.

He gazed down at me and I noticed that the smile I was seeing seemed so different for him. It was almost startling how much younger it made him seem, more innocent and youthful than when he was brooding. For the first time, I realized that by all outward appearances, I was in love with a much younger man. Well... much younger when you're in your early twenties.

"What are you thinking now?" he asked, his voice so soft, like velvet brushing my skin.

"Uh... I just noticed how much you _haven't_ changed, at least compared to me. And how, at the same time, you seem so very different."

His brow furrowed. "How do you mean?"

I reached up to smooth the crease between his eyes.

"I mean that you look exactly the same... not a single new wrinkle, or freckle, or even a five a clock shadow. But," I qualified, running my finger down his face and along his jawline again. "...you're also a completely different Edward than the one who ignored me after the accident, or even the one who was so afraid of touching me a few hours ago."

"Does it seem that way to you?"

"A little. I'm glad you seem to have found some confidence. What changed?"

He smiled and kissed me quickly. "You. Me. Everything."

I laughed quietly and looked at him in question. "How?"

"I'm not sure I can even explain it. The way you trust me completely, the way you look at me, what you've given me just by accepting me as I am, and just..."

"Everything..." I finished his thought with him. He smiled, his angel's face so much more relaxed than I ever thought I'd see it.

"I know what you mean. Everything is different today than it was yesterday," I added.

"Mmm..." he agreed, his forehead coming to rest against mine.

"And tomorrow?" I asked, wondering where we went from here.

"Tomorrow is just the beginning." He sat up a little, staring at me intensely, his thumb stroking my cheekbone reverently.

I lifted my head to find his lips, thrilled when he met me halfway. Our kiss was little more than a peck, but it left me tingling and breathless. I wanted to stay here forever, starting right now.

"The beginning?" I mused, the words barely finding any sound.

"Mmm. I'll love you always, Isabella Swan. As long as you'll have me. "

"Always then..." I sighed and then thought of something. "Wait... why wait for tomorrow?"

"What do you mean?" Edward asked.

"Stay with me. I know I shouldn't ask, but will you?"

"Whatever you want, love."

I smiled and kissed his jawline up to his ear. "Stay," I whispered.

Edward shivered and silently acquiesced. He laid us down so that we were side by side, stretched out on my bed and face to face. I started to feel my body relax in a way that I hadn't been able to in weeks, since the day his stupid, shiny, Volvo rolled back into my life. I smiled at the thought.

It was getting close to eleven when I remembered that I needed to go back downstairs to lock up and turn out all the lights. Edward offered to take care of the chore for me, leaving me to brush my teeth and hair while he was gone. I found him waiting for me when I walked back to my room.

We settled together, Edward lying on his back while I snuggled into his side. He was firm and cool, but we fit together in a way that made it impossible for me to be physically uncomfortable. In the silence and darkness of the night however, I began to think, and thinking led to a new source of discomfort.

For unknown and completely inconvenient reasons, Leah Clearwater popped into my mind. Leah... Sam... then Emily, and finally Jacob.

_No, no, no. Not a good time to be thinking of Jacob._

But there he was, plaguing my thoughts and reminding me of how I hurt him, and why I'd pushed him away. I must have tensed under the weight of my memories because Edward started rubbing my back in soothing circles.

"Are you okay, love?"

"I'm perfect," I answered, but I was lying. I hated lying.

Lying here on Edward's chest I could handle. Lying to him about what was going on inside my head was another matter.

Eventually, I couldn't wait any longer to talk to him about my concerns. I was already in way over my head, but if there was any chance that I could get in deeper, only to have it all ripped away? Well, then this had to end now. It would kill me, but I had to do it.

"Edward?" I asked, not even lifting my head to look at him. It would be easier if I didn't have to see his face.

"Yes, love?"

"Are you familiar with imprinting?"

I felt him lift his head to look at me. "Imprinting? As in, a mark or figure impressed or printed on something? Or as in the psychological term that explains the establishment of a long-lasting behavioral response to a specific individual or object as is common with animals?"

I had to laugh a little. "You are a walking dictionary. I should keep you around when I have papers to write."

"I'm at your service." He leaned down, kissing the top of my head before lying back. "Now, why the vocabulary quiz?"

I sighed. "I just was wondering... if that's something vampires do? Imprint, I mean."

Edward was silent for a moment, and then rolled us over so that I was on my back while he leaned over me. All at once I wanted to hide and yet kiss him senseless at the same time.

"I don't think that we are susceptible to such basic biological compulsions. We don't have young, and we don't return to the same location to mate every year. We're nomadic for the most part." He smirked. "Why do you ask?"

"You don't _think _you're susceptible... or you know that you're not?" I asked, wanting to be clear on this.

Edward narrowed his eyes, examining my expression. I wondered if he was trying to read my mind. "We don't imprint, Bella. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

I relaxed a little. "Yes."

He smiled tenderly. "Okay, good. Now tell me... why do you ask?"

"I... It's just that the wolves imprint, on their mates or whatever, and I wondered if vampires were like that."

Edward's face suddenly seemed to alight with some kind of understanding and I felt as though he saw through me entirely.

"Bella. Did... You were involved with one of them, yes?"

I nodded, closing my eyes.

"Did he imprint? Is that what..." He trailed off, and I looked up to see his eyes widen. "Last night Jared was thinking about you and _Jacob, _in the past tense. Tonight Embry was much the same."

I felt the color drain from my face this time. I should have realized that Edward would have heard too much in Embry and Jared's thoughts. Did he know everything then? No, he couldn't possibly... He wouldn't have asked his last question then. I hurried to put his mind at ease, seeing that he looked as horrified as I felt.

"He didn't imprint on anyone. It was just the idea that he could have."

"_He_, being Jacob?"

"Yes." I turned away. Why did I suddenly feel like I was admitting to adultery? This felt so, so wrong. Talking about Jake with Edward? In my bed? _Ugh..._

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you that. I apologize, it's none of my business."

I looked back at him. "It's okay. I would want to know too... if there had been someone else. I wouldn't like it, but I would want to know."

He shook his head. "There's nothing to know, but I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I wasn't going to press you about it. I knew you would tell me when you were ready, but since you brought up this imprinting business."

We were both silent for a moment.

"Will you tell me about him?" Edward asked, grazing my cheek with his fingers. He was trying to dazzle me into agreeing, I was almost sure of it. I closed my eyes again and let out a sigh.

"Jacob and I were close. We dated. But he didn't imprint on me or anyone else. It was Sam."

"Sam?" he asked, confusion evident in his tone.

"Yeah. Sam was engaged before he started phasing for the first time. I guess they really loved each other, but then..." I paused. "Leah's cousin came to visit and help with the wedding. With _Sam's_ wedding. When he met Leah's cousin for the first time, he imprinted on her."

Edward's face was hard to read. There was both anger and pity, but most of all I thought I saw compassion.

"I assume you mean to tell me then that Sam broke his engagement. He chose his imprint over his betrothed?"

I nodded. "Everyone says he didn't really have a choice. He didn't want to imprint on Emily. Sam loved Leah. He even tried to stay away from Emily for a while, but he couldn't do it. And in the end, he broke Leah's heart and she never got over it. She's an angry, embittered person now and she didn't used to be that way. It ruined her."

The pain in Edward's eyes mirrored my own. "And you're worried that the same thing will happen to you?"

"Something like that," I answered.

"Did you love Jacob the same way Leah loved Sam?" he asked, his voice so quiet, so very devoid of any emotion. I ached to see him looking at me like that; the young and innocent part of him no longer visible beneath his mask.

"No." I reached up to trace his cheek bones, and the line of his jaw.

"But you loved him enough."

"I guess. He was my best friend. He really should be still, but I was worried about the possibility of getting my heart broken like Leah did." I took a deep breath and lifted my palms to either side of his face. "You need to know something though."

"What, love?"

"I didn't even know that my heart was capable of feeling this much, I didn't realize what I was missing. It was never like this. Not once. Not ever."

Edward closed his eyes and lowered his forehead to mine. I allowed my eyes to flutter closed as well.

"It's that way for me too. Over a century walking this earth and only now, because of you, am I discovering just how incomplete I was. How lacking... How empty..."

The feel of his sweet breath washed over me until his intoxicating scent was all I was aware of. If I'd been standing, surely I would have passed out from the effect. Just as I began to feel lulled to the point where sleep would soon overtake me, Edward's lips brushed against mine just once.

I opened my eyes and smiled lazily against his mouth. He pulled back a moment, granting me a view of his perfect lopsided grin before returning to kiss me again. I moved with Edward slowly this time, trying to avoid deepening the kiss any more than he seemed willing to do himself. I was more than content with his tentative explorations; they lacked absolutely nothing. There was both passion and tenderness as our mouths melded together fluidly, my pliable flesh giving beneath his more impenetrable vampire skin.

The strange electricity between us increased despite the relatively chaste nature of our actions. I could hardly breathe, and soon Edward was pulling away, holding me as I trembled in his arms.

"Breathe, Bella."

I giggled quietly and took an exaggerated breath, letting it out slowly.

"Better?" he chuckled.

The trembling had lessened, so I nodded.

"What time to do you need to be up in the morning?" Edward whispered, his breath once again washing over me.

"Um..." It took me a moment to gather my senses. "Uh, I need to get up at six... thirty...? Yeah, six thirty at the latest."

"And may I drive you to class?" he asked, running a hand through my hair.

"No. No class tomorrow. I work all day Friday," I answered, feeling very drowsy now.

"All day?" he asked, his soothing ministrations continuing down my back.

"Mm hmm... Seven in the morning, until five-thirty or six at night." I yawned. "Fridays are a long day."

"Hmm... well, I'll be here when you're done."

I opened my eyes. "Really?"

"Yes." He kissed my forehead.

"Good," I answered, snuggling closer to him. "Thank you." I yawned again.

"No, my love... thank you," Edward whispered from somewhere far away.

"Mmm... don... haf... thankm..."

I felt something shaking lightly beneath me as my body gave way to fatigue and the fog of sleep finally overtook me.

~(~)~

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_**A/N: Alright lovelies, let's hear it... everyone all together now, *ah... sigh* **_

_**Thanks go, once again, to **Katmom, farawaymomo** and **JillianLanders** for continuing to help make this story more than it would be if it were up to me alone! Love you ladies!**_

**_Chapter title was inspired by the swoony tune, __Sway__. My favorite version of the song is this Dean Martin cover. I personally think Edward would be partial to it too._**

**_Thank you so much for reading! I hope you got some of the answers you were waiting for!_**


	16. Chapter 15: Happy

**Author's Note:**

_*Slips in quietly...hopes nobody notices I'm late.* _

Hello there. Big apologies for the delay with this chapter! Insert standard excuses here.

I really, really appreciated all the reviews for the last chapter and most especially the few notes I got saying, "Hey Gin, where's the update? We miss you." Seriously people, a little nudge is always appreciated. ;-)

So without any further ado, on with the update!

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_**Disclaimer: **_**The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, May 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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**Chapter 15:**

"**Happy"**

**~()~  
**

My feet flew on the run home. Had I not known better, I might have thought the last twelve hours were a dream.

Even faster than my feet, my brain ran on overtime. Several separate lines of thought pushed for dominance all at once. While I attempted to re-live every wonderful moment I'd shared with Bella again and again, I was also preoccupied with the implications of having urges and emotions previously foreign to me. If that weren't enough, my mind was simultaneously busy analyzing each element of Bella's past that she'd revealed.

Despite all of her openness and enduring honesty, she continued to mystify me. Bella Swan was an enigma amongst humankind, of that there was no doubt. And I couldn't stop thinking about her.

Certain thoughts were dominant. They seemed to be the ones that propelled me forward with a lightheartedness I hadn't experienced in many decades.

_ "Don't move," I told her, sliding my hands from her fragile body onto the less breakable countertop. We could always buy a new counter; Bella herself was irreplaceable. _

_ As I lowered my forehead to hers carefully, her skin seared me, her breath overwhelmed me, and her heartbeat taunted me. Yet my desire was not for her blood. Not at this moment anyway. _

Kissing Bella was nerve-wracking, but nothing short of exhilarating. The simple fact that I had been able to find the restraint to do so successfully was thrilling; empowering even. Somehow I'd been strong enough to avoid wanting to feed from her and managed to be gentle enough with her. She'd even enjoyed it as much as I had; a fact I was still trying to understand. I hadn't been joking when I told her I wasn't expecting her to be so responsive to me. I had thought she'd be put off by my cold, hard flesh, but that hadn't been the case at all. She'd tried to get closer.

Oddly enough, it hadn't really been my bloodlust I was afraid of losing control over when she pulled herself against me. The feel of those soft, sweet lips against mine was unbelievable and it was the threat of losing a different type of control altogether that sent me across the room. I'd gotten very close to responding to Bella's body as enthusiastically as she had responded to mine, which would have crushed her.

However, in my attempt to prevent such a tragedy, I miscalculated. Like some kind of barbarian, I allowed my delicate, fragile Bella to fall off of her kitchen counter and onto the floor. It was horrifying and humiliating to say the least. I doubted I would be able to forgive myself knowing that she'd probably been bruised despite my attempt to avoid hurting her in the first place.

I'd never been quite so angry at myself, but Bella's grace and forgiveness over the matter truly amazed me. She was unfazed by the incident, only worried that I regretted kissing her; a ridiculous notion, but one that had upset her a great deal. When I cleared up our miscommunication, explaining that I wasn't expecting her to be so enthusiastic, her expression had been utterly adorable. The way her big brown eyes widened and then filled with amusement broke the tension we both felt and allowed me a moment of reprieve.

That reprieve gave way to a night that felt like a miracle in so many ways. Each detail, every minute, ran like a loop in my head. A more poignant moment popped to the forefront of my thoughts as I neared my family's home in Cedar Falls.

"_I think sometimes... Life has a way of blessing you when you least expect it. Sometimes, just when you think all is lost, more good comes your way than you ever thought possible."_

Bella's voice had been so soft, but full of conviction. Something had shifted between us sitting in front of her mother's dilapidated piano and I couldn't even begin to define it. I wondered if Bella had said it best.

"_I didn't even know that my heart was capable of feeling this much." _

Her words had brought such warmth to my own cold heart. I could have sworn it shuddered as if it were going to start beating anew.

Thinking about it again, I was so very relieved to hear that what she felt for me was unique and new. I wasn't sure how I would have managed hearing that her heart had previously belonged to someone else in the same manner. But Bella was sincere in her declarations, and I believed her, even if there was small voice of dissent inside of me that wasn't entirely certain. The tiniest possibility that some piece of her heart remained with this Jacob character even now was not anything I wanted to think about in any way. I would try very hard to ignore the nagging doubt whispering in the back of my consciousness.

I ascended the wide ridge at the border of our property easily just as I heard the first hints of my family members' thoughts. Most of them were aware I was on my way thanks to Alice. Each one had their own questions and concerns about where I'd been all night. Rosalie was, of course, ready to tie me up and keep me under house arrest once she got her hands on me. I might have been angry at her if I couldn't sense the underlying insecurity in her thoughts. It always came back to vanity for Rosalie, but I couldn't really be bothered to care. That was just Rose.

A few more steps and Alice's mind came into sharper focus. She was sitting on the front steps anxiously awaiting my return and counting down the seconds until I broke through the trees. She had already foreseen our reunion and was apparently trying to give me fair warning that I was about to be pounced upon.

I laughed under my breath, willing to play along in my current good mood. Making a quick decision to go around another way and arrive behind the house, it didn't take long for Alice to catch wind of my plan. The vision of us shifted to the back yard of the house, only this time we had an audience. Jasper, Emmett and Esme would be looking on in that scenario.

I figured that some of what Alice would have to say to me or show me would be private and decided I'd rather speak to my sister alone at first. Even if it meant allowing her to tackle me as a way of greeting. Quickly I ran back another way, making sure that I would arrive at the front of the house.

Alice started masking her thoughts by making up nonsense words to tune of the William Tell Overture soon after she saw my decision. I slowed my run a bit trying to see through her ridiculous song. However, since the timbre of her thoughts was still joyful and mischievous, I tried not to worry too much about what she was hiding from me.

About twenty-five feet from the tree line I saw what she was trying to do without being detected. My psychic sister had taken to the treetops and quietly dropped down right in front of me before jumping onto my back in one lithe motion.

"I'm so happy for you!" she squealed.

Even with her stranglehold on my neck, her current position of monkey on my back was a small improvement over the way she would have barreled over me and landed on top of my chest as she had in her visions. Because of that, I tried to restrain myself and not throw her off right away even though she continued prattling on in my ear at an alarming pitch.

"This is amazing! I'd seen it, but I almost couldn't believe it! You're happy, and she's happy! And that makes me so, so, so happy!"

Her hold around my throat tightened in what was supposed to be a hug.

"Do you mind, Alice?" I croaked out.

"Sorry!" she said, letting go of my neck. "But honestly... I'm not sorry for hugging you. I'm giddy! I told you that she loves you!" She threw her arms back around me until it became almost uncomfortable again.

"Alice..." I complained.

She hopped down, but not before kissing my cheek and mussing my hair.

_Okay... okay... You two are so sweet together though! She is, without a doubt, the perfect Yin to your Yang!_

"Really... Al? Yin and Yang?"

"Absolutely!" she squealed and then continued silently. _You've finally met your match. I can't wait to meet her again. Bella and I are going to be great friends. _

I frowned.

She threw her arms in the air dramatically in response.

"Oh, come on! You have to trust me on this. I told you everything would work out, and so far it has. I only see good things in your future. Well, from what I can see of it anyway. Bella is still a little mixed up with the werewolves it seems, so it's hard to be sure."

I looked at Alice seriously then. "Have you seen her..." I trailed off, for a moment afraid to even ask. "She stays human in the visions you've had?"

Alice sobered immediately and looked at me sympathetically.

"There was only one. A brief flash of her as an immortal, but it's gone."

"When?"

"Last night."

I saw the vision Alice had seen in her memory. It was eerily similar to what she saw happening five years ago when we lived in Forks, with some minor differences. Pain seared through me at the sight of my beautiful, lively Bella unnaturally pale and frozen forever in time.

"I thought maybe you momentarily considered it. It was gone as soon as it came."

I shook my head. I was suddenly so tense, barely capable of speech.

"I would never." The words sounded strangled.

I began rethinking every thought I'd had last night. I had to imagine that the vision had hit Alice when Bella was on the phone with Embry. I hoped that was all that it was. I couldn't have possibly been that selfish to have really considered it. Could I have?

Alice put a hand on my forearm. "Hey... Look at me, Edward. It's not happening anytime soon that I can see, and it's a miracle that you were ever able to avoid the future I saw happening back in Forks to begin with."

She gave me a moment to collect myself then continued speaking to me silently.

_You have a fresh start. Don't waste it by worrying about things that may never come to pass. _

"Alice... You have to help me. I cannot leave her again, but I can't even think about... " I refused to even say it.

"I know, Edward. I'll do my best."

"She would hate me if I let that happen to her. I would lose her."

"No. No, Edward... You can't think like that. Besides, it's not as if Bella is ignorant of what she's getting into. Give her some credit that she knows what she wants."

"She doesn't know everything, Al," I sighed. What would she think when she did?

"Neither do you. And it honestly won't matter to her," Alice answered as though she knew what was on my mind. "She's made her choice. You should be happy."

_Go back to being happy!_ she thought with overdone excitement.

"I'll try. I have some things to do for Bella today that should keep me focused on the positive."

"That's right! You will need to order a few things for her piano, as it turns out. I saw that you would discover that it had been poorly repaired once before and I know you well enough to know you'll want to restore it to its original condition"

"How did I miss something like that last night?" I wondered.

"Well, I did interrupt you when I called to tell you that you'd disappeared again," she answered.

"Yes, I guess you did. Thank you, by the way."

"You're very welcome, dear brother. I was glad I could warn you, and the mutt didn't just show up on a whim or something."

"Yes, well he considered it when she didn't answer right away. If you hadn't called, I might not have picked up on his thoughts as quickly. I was quite distracted."

Alice smirked and raised an eyebrow. _Don't I know it..._

"But it turned out alright? She spoke to him by phone?" she asked instead.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"And?"

"And..." I shrugged. "She said I was amazing," I said quietly, looking down.

"She told the mutt that!" Alice gasped in surprise. "Did she know you could hear her?"

"Yes," I smiled. "She was sitting right in front of me."

"What else did she say?"

I shook my head, hoping to keep from embarrassing myself further. "Nothing of consequence, really. She told him to be nice." I shrugged, chuckling a little remembering how she'd compared him to a fictional rabid dog. Cujo indeed.

"Uh huh. Well, other than that... How was your evening?" Alice asked, changing the subject and pulling me towards the house.

"Like you don't already know."

She stuck her tongue out at me. "As a matter of fact, I don't. Not really. In addition to the interference caused by Bella's little friend calling, I did honestly try to keep from spying on you."

I didn't respond at first, instead searching for what I wanted to know from her thoughts. It turned out that she really had tried to give me a balance of privacy and security.

"Thank you, Alice. It was lucky that I didn't really need you, but thanks just the same."

"You're welcome of course! Now, do tell... how was it?"

_Come on... First kiss? Ring any bells?_

"_That_ is none of your business."

"Oh fine, I'll just ask Bella."

"You'll do no such thing," I growled.

Alice giggled. _So serious all the time. Lighten up. If you can't manage to be good humored with me, how will you handle Emmett? _

She had a point, though I still wasn't about to kiss and tell. Just who did she take me for?

"I'll deal with the commentary somehow," I answered.

Somewhere from behind the house, I heard Emmett's booming voice carry on the wind.

"Yeah, you will!"

His raucous laughter was followed by a small crash and Rosalie's less than happy thoughts.

_I hate you so much right now, Edward. _

"Oww, Rosie baby. What the hell?"

"Don't you 'what the hell' me, Emmett McCarty. This is just as much your fault as it is his, remember?"

I grimaced as Rosalie laid into Emmett yet again for calling Bella and interceding on my behalf. I felt sorry for my brother. True, I'd been just as upset with him at first, but who knows how long I would have been miserable and alone if he hadn't made that phone call.

Unfortunately, the new problems we faced as a family –the threat now posed to us by the Quileute wolves, their conflict with the nomad Victoria, and even the injudicious slayings that she had carried out far too close to our new home –had only given Rosalie new fuel for her resentment and indignation.

Blocking her out as much as was possible, I turned my focus back to Alice.

"I am happy, Alice. Things are both more difficult than I anticipated, and easier at the same time. But I can deal with that if Bella wants me with her."

"From what I've seen, she does, and that's a very good place for you to be," Alice said sincerely.

Jasper was waiting outside for us when we reached the front lawn of the house. Alice hopped to his side while he grinned at me like a Cheshire cat.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing. I'm saying nothing." _I don't I have to. We both know you feel like bursting into song this morning. _

"Shut up."

Jasper let out a laugh and crossed him arms over his chest. "I didn't say a thing."

I scowled at him playfully, narrowing my eyes. He looked me over and grew serious.

"I'm glad you're home. I was... concerned," he said quietly, not loud enough for his voice to carry far.

"I imagine you were," I answered, knowing he out of anybody in the family knew the challenge that Bella's blood presented for me.

_Alice told me it would be fine, but I... I don't know how you're doing it. _

I shook my head. There were moments when I wondered the same thing.

"You do seem different this morning," he added.

I took a breath, thinking for a moment. "I'm..."

**"HAPPY," **all three of our voices announced in unison.

Alice and Jasper smiled at me and looked on like indulgent parents. It made me self-conscious.

"Stop it. I'll get enough of that from Esme and Carlisle," I complained.

_We heard that, _Carlisle thought from where my parents were waiting for me inside. He and Esme almost immediately appeared at the door, Esme looking at us expectantly.

"Well, get in here you three," she smiled, before narrowing her eyes specifically at me. "You'll get _what_ from us?"

"Overindulgent looks of appraisal..." I sighed, shaking my head.

I gave her a quick hug, seeing in her thoughts that she'd missed me and was worried a good deal more than the others. "How are you this morning, Mom?"

"I'm fine, Edward. Happy you're home." She embraced me tightly before pulling back. "How is Bella?"

_I hope you don't mind that I ask,_ she thought quickly.

"Not at all," I answered. "She's well, thank you."

"And things are well between the two of you?" she hesitantly inquired, though she was positively glowing on the inside having heard me say that I was happy.

"They are."

Esme's smile grew. "That's wonderful, dear."

My father cleared his throat from the doorway, and waved us all inside.

"So, I take it you and Bella have decided to see more of one another," he asked as we made our way to the living room.

"Yes."

"And she is aware that this may be difficult because of our strained treaty with her Quileute friends? You made her aware of the threats?"

Esme coughed lightly and whispered in Carlisle's ear, though her thoughts were clear enough to me.

Carlisle looked up at me. "I apologize, Edward. It would appear I'm grilling you." He winked at me in a moment of playfulness and then grew more serious again.

_I cannot begin to tell you how much I've wished for your happiness, son. I only wish to protect you, and Bella, of course._

I nodded once, letting him know that I appreciated his care and understood his concerns.

Esme looked between us and recognized the signs our silent conversation. She shushed my father and made the rest of us laugh at her exasperated expression.

"Oh stop it, you two. I know there at are important things to discuss, but let me just bask in the glow of Edward's happiness for a while, will you?"

A low growl came from the back of the house just outside the kitchen where Rosalie and Emmett had started arguing almost silently about whether or not to join the rest of us. Emmett was being insistent, arguing that we hadn't all been in the same room together since the day I'd reunited with Bella. Later that night Carlisle and the others had come home with news of the Quileutes and the new treaty we'd agreed to.

"Rosalie, come on. Please, baby? Be a grown-up about this."

"Screw you, Emmett. I'm not going to sit there and bask in anyone's _'glow'_ right now. I'm not going to pretend that what Edward is doing with that girl is okay," Rosalie hissed. It was barely audible and I could tell that without the benefit of my gift, the others had only picked up on certain words. Of course, they all knew Rosalie was on a rampage where I was concerned at the moment anyway.

I sighed. "I should go talk to her..."

"Do you think it would help?" Carlisle asked, one eyebrow arched high. He was certain that if I confronted her now, this thing between Rosalie and I would only escalate.

I shook my head, and Carlisle stood.

"I'll talk to her." _Again..._

"I'm sorry, Carlisle."

He smiled. _Don't apologize. Your mother was human when first I met her, Emmett was human too. This is a bit different, but Rose will come around. _

Somehow I doubted that. This wasn't just about right or wrong. Rosalie's insecurities played a huge role in her disdain for the situation. Not that I would advertise that to the rest of the family.

Carlisle quietly excused himself and sought out Emmett and Rosalie, asking them to take a walk with him; a request Rosalie resisted at first.

After a few minutes of lighter conversation, Jasper and Alice –who couldn't help but wink at me and show me a quick vision of Bella and I together sitting in front of her mother's piano –eventually made their way upstairs to their room.

As they left, I quietly thanked Alice for reminding me of my primary goal for the day and then turned to Esme.

"How would you like to help me with a small project?"

"I'd be thrilled to," she answered with a broad smile. "What are we doing?"

"Well, Bella has an old piano that is in need of some repair. She'd like to learn to play sometime in the future, so I offered to make it ready for her."

Esme put her hand to her still heart. "Oh, Edward."

_I don't know... I can't... I just... _

I moved to her side. "What is it, Esme?"

She sniffled, though there would be no tears.

"It must mean a lot to you... to be able to share that part of your life with someone new."

_With the young woman you love. _

I smiled bashfully. "Yes, I guess it does."

"And she..." The woman who had been my mother and closest companion next to Carlisle for many, many years looked up into my eyes.

_ She cares for you, too? _

"I think so."

Esme frowned a bit, wanting a more firm declaration than that.

I laughed. "All right then... I know she does."

"Of course she does! She seems to be a remarkable young woman, Edward. I know I've said that before, but the more I learn of her, the more I am convinced."

"I know exactly what you mean," I agreed.

~(~)~

The next week passed quickly, my days spent with my family and my nights spent with my beloved. During that time, I'd finished with most of the repairs to Bella's upright. Some of the work I'd done while she was studying or having her human moments, but most of it had taken place in the hours when she'd been in a deep dreamless sleep. The repairs were easy, but because of the delicate nature of the instrument, they'd been time consuming even for a vampire. However, it was well worth the effort and the piano was now fully restored on the inside as well as perfectly tuned. The only matters left to attend to were cosmetic issues. Esme and I had planned on re-finishing and lacquering the wood to its original glory, but Alice urged me to discuss it with Bella before proceeding any further with the refurbishment. I was a bit enthusiastic about doing something nice for my love, but there was no need to rush. She would not be available to begin lessons for a few weeks anyway.

Bella had another few days of class left and then a few reading days before final exams were to begin. Then she would be attending her very first college commencement ceremony the following weekend with parents and friends in attendance. I still wasn't sure if I was going to be invited to join her publicly, but no matter what, I planned on being present when she received her Bachelor's degree. Even if it was in secret.

I'd tried to slip into Bella's life without making too many waves, which had been fairly easy so far. We were still spending our evenings at her apartment where she would meet me when she got home from work. She often accomplished whatever was on her agenda for the evening and I'd help where she let me, but mostly I just watched.

The arrangement was what was best for her at the moment, even though I really wanted to be able to take her out properly and behave like a worthy suitor. Still, I loved everything that our time spent together in her home had allowed me to learn about the woman she was.

Besides being generally neat and studious, I now knew that Bella really enjoyed cooking for others. Truthfully, she seemed to like the cooking part more than the eating part. I'd even questioned her about that when she'd settled for a bowl of cereal as her dinner one night. She blushed and admitted that she only cooked one or two nights a week or on her days off. Apparently, she had long ago gotten in the habit of making enormous amounts of food of various kinds that could be divided into smaller containers and frozen for reheating later. I was honestly impressed by the forethought that went in to such an effort, and when Sunday rolled around, it was fun to watch her as she cooked. Of course, I quickly took over the task of chopping and cutting vegetables or raw meats for her. She didn't seem to mind too much once she saw how quickly I could work and cut down on her prep time. It did, after all, allow us more free time later on.

Our first few nights together were the happiest and most peaceful I'd known in my existence. I hadn't slept in ninety-two years, but holding Bella as she slumbered was as close as I could imagine getting in this life. It was rejuvenating to my spirit, if not to my physical body, and having her in my arms made the time pass much faster than it used to –except for maybe when I was waiting for her to open her eyes again in the morning. I could hardly wait those last few moments before she regained consciousness to see her warm brown eyes shining up at me again, or to hear her voice made rough with sleep as it whispered "good morning", or to see her wet her lips and smile at me in expectation.

I'd become more comfortable with showing Bella affection. The contrast between her mortal frailty and my brute strength still frightened me, but I was learning. Of course, it was still very necessary for me to remain on high alert every time our lips met, but kissing Bella was more than worth the effort to restrain myself. The level of trust she bestowed on me in those moments was staggering, like her taste on my tongue. Both swept me away.

It also confounded me that I felt warm, truly and honestly warm, from the inside-out when we'd kissed. Though we hadn't kissed often, the symphony of sensations when we did made it an overwhelming experience, but one I enjoyed more and more each time.

This morning when she woke, Bella had sought out my lips before she'd even opened her eyes. Other than startling me a bit, it both amused and delighted me. When she did finally open those beautiful, sleepy eyes, we shared our sixth real kiss. And then our seventh before I'd dropped her off on campus for class.

Every morning this week I'd either driven Bella to the University campus or walked her to the bus stop because I'd run on foot the night before. I preferred running when I could because it gave me an opportunity each morning to prepare myself for rejoining my family.

During that time I allowed any conflicting emotions or fears that I had about what was happening between me and Bella to battle it out. I often found that I arrived home in a more somber mood than the one I'd left Bella in, but I was still far improved from my former melancholy state. Even on the days when I found myself thinking that Bella would be so much better off without me, or when the tension present between Rosalie and I affected the others, I at least had my afternoon hunting excursions to work out my frustrations.

By today, my eighth consecutive day of hunting, I felt uncomfortably full from the excess of blood. Unfortunately today, despite a longer run and a more elusive prey, I'd been unable to shake off my current worries. Even on my way home, I felt heavy from the weight of my thoughts.

Bella had been murmuring in her sleep again last night. She'd spoken most nights since the night of our first kiss, professing her love for me on a regular basis. Even the memory made me smile. It was the highlight of my time with her. Getting to hear her unguarded thoughts escape made my heart soar; even more so when those thoughts were of me. Then last night, for the first time, her words struck a raw chord.

_"Edward... be with you always."_

Always.

I certainly wanted Bella to be with me always, but... I knew she could not stay with me always.

It was the one subject I dreaded more than any other. It was also the one thing I struggled with even more than finding a way, realistically, to stay at her side throughout her lifetime without exposing her to others of my kind and ultimately the Volturi.

Eighty years.

Bella and I only had eighty years to be together at the very most. While it was almost as long as I'd been with Carlisle, it was not nearly long enough. And yet, it was quite possibly too long to avoid keeping secret.

In the last eighty years or so, we'd been fortunate enough not to have ever given anyone a reason to take interest in our family. Even as the family grew unusually large, and unusually talented, we managed to remain under the radar. Oh, we'd had the occasional visitor or interloper throw around threats, but never anything serious. The Volturi themselves had never visited, nor had they requested our presence in Italy, and Carlisle corresponded with them regularly enough to keep their curiosity appeased. Truthfully, eight decades to them would pass quickly. As quickly as a few months would pass in Bella's human life.

The question was... Would they decide to check on their old friend Carlisle and his singularly unique coven during that time? Even if they didn't, how realistic was it for me to live at Bella's side all that time unnoticed and unpunished?

These were things I would have to discuss with Bella. I would also need to delve further into a solution with Carlisle, and soon. The sooner the better. Given the already volatile situation between the nomad Victoria and the Quileute wolves, there was a potential risk for exposure and possibly even Volturi intervention. And under no circumstances could I allow Bella to be anywhere near here if that happened.

When I returned to the house, I found Carlisle gone. He, Rosalie and Emmett had apparently gone scouting for information on Victoria. How Carlisle ever managed to get Rose to cooperate was beyond me, but Esme seemed to think she liked the idea of cleaning up my messes so she could laud it over me in the future. I had to laugh at that, because it was probably true. But to give Rosalie credit where credit was due, she was most likely just as motivated by the fact that there was a potential threat to our family.

After changing clothes and spending a few moments in my room wondering what to do with the adjoining space that still sat empty, I made my way downstairs. I was determined to work a little more on the new composition I'd been playing with for the last couple of days. I began tinkering with it that first morning home after spending the night at Bella's and continued to add to it more every day.

Esme listened in as I played. She was sitting nearby, reading over an introductory piano course book that she'd ordered for me when I told her that I would be giving Bella lessons at some point.

Her suggestion that I better acquaint myself with how humans acquire a new musical skill was a very good idea. I didn't have to really think about playing anymore, and in the last ninety years I'd only ever had to see or hear something once to commit it to memory. Learning would take some effort on Bella's part, and at the very least I would be better prepared to help guide her through any challenges thanks to my mother.

Of course, watching Bella study for her classes this week had been illuminating already. Over the last few days I'd watched while she prepared for exams and worked on final papers that were due at the end of the semester next week. Most of her assignments were already completed to my surprise. This term was Bella's last at the University of Washington and she had worked diligently to prepare. When I'd expressed a concern that my overwhelmingly selfish need to be near her was risking her grades, she just smiled and handed me her women's history paper to proofread. It was the third draft.

When I'd given her paper back, Bella lamented that she would have to go the next day to one of the libraries on campus for access to a computer. I saw an opportunity and quickly produced the laptop I'd been hoping to give her since the night hers had broken. It was a battle to convince her to use it, even for the time being. She made me promise it was just a loan and that I would use it too if I needed something else to do besides watch her sleep. Of course, I told her that I would, but it felt like sacrilege to allow her to believe that there was anything else I'd want to do but hold her while she slept.

I brought my attention back to the composition I was working on, marveling at how, without even trying, the notes coming from the piano reflected the way I felt holding Bella in my arms. They were sweet and soft, but tinged with a hint of sadness.

Was it because I was always aware that I could never join her in sleep, or was it because part of me still had to battle the monster to keep her safe in her most vulnerable hours?

The music shifted and became more passionate with that thought. It was a call and answer that reflected the conflicts of joy versus pain, of tension versus release. It was the sweetest of melodies followed closely by a haunting and inescapable harmony that at moments threatened to envelop and drown out the melody. But just as I worked tirelessly to keep the monster in me from consuming the man in me who loved Bella, I never allowed the beauty of the melody to be consumed entirely by the darker harmony.

"It's lovely, Edward." Esme put her book down and came to sit by me, drawn to the emotion of the music.

Somewhere upstairs I heard Alice telling Jasper that she would be right back, that she needed to talk to me.

I played a few more bars of the melody as I heard it progressing in my head and tinkered with some chords, but eventually transitioned back to the opening refrain and let it fade out.

Esme smiled and nodded in approval. "How will it end?"

I grinned, she knew me so well. Enough to know I wasn't finished with the lullaby yet.

I started to answer her but Alice had finally made her way into the room, silently joining us on the piano bench. I could tell something was bothering her but she just smiled and shook her head subtly. In her thoughts she told me to answer Esme first before getting into the reason behind her visit.

I turned back to Esme. "I'm not sure exactly how it ends just yet."

I played with a few more chords and plunked out some potential melody. She smiled and patted my knee.

_I can already tell it will be beautiful. Your best yet... Bella will love it._

I raised an eyebrow in her direction and she just laughed.

"A mother knows these things, dear. Just like I know Alice needs to speak with you right away."

Alice smiled and gave Esme a grateful look. Esme stood silently and moved behind her youngest daughter.

"Is everything alright, sweetheart?" she asked, squeezing Alice's shoulders lovingly.

Alice shook her head and wrinkled up her face. "I don't know. I _think_ so..."

"Ah... Do you need me to call Carlisle?"

"Not just yet."

"Alright then, I'll leave you two alone to figure it out." Esme smiled at both of us and was off without another word.

"So what's going on, Al?" I asked.

She sighed."Your plans for the weekend just disappeared. And I can't see Bella clearly again until early next week."

I frowned. "You can't see her over the course of the entire weekend?"

Alice shook her head.

"I had intended to speak to her about her plans tonight. I was hoping to take her out. Have our first date, officially."

"I know, Edward. I'm so sorry. She would have loved the bluffs too. I can still see you two there, just not this weekend."

"What do you see after the weekend?" I asked, my concern concealed only just beneath the surface, and not very well at that.

Alice bristled slightly. "It's all mucked up again. There are too many decisions still left to be made right now. Yours. Hers. Maybe even somebody else. But I did see something... something we need to keep an eye on."

Her tone immediately alarmed me, as did the way she busied her thoughts trying to control what she wanted me to see. "What was it, Alice?"

She turned towards me and closed her eyes, showing me snippets of visions. Flashes of mostly trees, some vague buildings that could be anywhere, an alleyway and a dark green car flipped over by a scarlet-eyed immortal while another with slightly darker crimson eyes looked on.

"Victoria," I stated, her red hair unmistakable.

"Mm hmm. As early as Sunday. I see her taking the newborn hunting, but she hasn't really decided where yet. I'll keep watching for her though."

My sister was far too good at reading my expressions and laughed at the well-hidden scowl. I saw no humor in the situation and told her so.

She shoved my shoulder. "Just go see Bella. Find out why her weekend's a blank. And don't brood."

I stood and hastily closed the lid to the piano. "I don't brood."

Alice broke into a giggle and Jasper's snort was audible from upstairs. I ran my hands through my hair and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"This is serious. Can you try to remember that?"

"Of course we can," Alice chirped. "A vampire never forgets."

"Seriously, Alice. Can you see that I'm not really in the mood right now?"

She rolled her eyes and flitted to the front door. "Don't let it hit you on the way out."

I scowled and ghosted up the stairs to get my keys, wallet and phone. Only after I had jumped down and made it halfway to the garage did I think enough to stop and turn back.

"Goodnight, Esme."

"Goodnight, dear."

With that out of the way, I started to leave.

_Sure, don't say goodnight to us. I see how it is..._

"Goodnight, Jasper," I answered my brother, ignoring Alice intentionally.

She sounded unimpressed.

"Fine, Edward. Ignore me, but..." _Just be careful with my best friend tonight, please. And tell her I said, "Hi"!_

I rolled my eyes and decided it would be a good night to run all the way to Bella's.

~(~)~

"Hey," a small, sweet voice greeted me.

"Hey," I answered.

Bella opened the door to her apartment and led me inside. She'd arrived before me today, a fact that puzzled but delighted me. As did the way her heart started beating faster as soon as I knocked, or how her cheeks reddened the moment I stepped inside.

She closed and locked the door behind her and then turned around, but made no move to approach me. For the last seven days, she'd run right into my embrace as soon as cursory greetings were out of the way. But not now. Not today.

I wondered what was different, but with her eyes downcast it was impossible for me to read her. I already felt a huge sense of trepidation due to Alice's visions and the other topic I had meant to broach with her today. There was a whole lot to be discussed and on top of it all, Bella's posture indicated she was out of sorts at the moment.

"Did you have a nice day today?" she asked me, her eyes darting up and back down again quickly. She took a shaky breath and her heart rate accelerated further.

I stepped towards her and lifted her chin to make eye contact with her. "Yes. Did _you_?"

She blushed again and smiled shyly. "Yeah. I did," she shrugged. "I just..." She stopped and closed her eyes, swallowing hard and biting her lip.

"Listen to your heart race..." I placed my palm against her sternum, feeling the pounding of the muscle behind her breast plate and the heat of her skin on my own.

It only took a split second for me to pull back, surprised as I was by my own boldness. I was also startled by the surge of venom in my mouth. I'd been growing increasingly desensitized to the lure of Bella's blood this week. However, my current internal battle proved that I might never be immune.

"What is it, Bella?" I forced myself to ask, hoping her voice would provide a distraction from the sound of her beating heart. She looked up at me and tried to speak but no words came out.

I smiled at her, attempting to be encouraging.

She laughed nervously and covered her face. "I'm sorry. I know I'm being ridiculous, I'm just nervous," she said from behind the shield she'd constructed from her small hands.

"You're nervous?"

She hummed her reply.

"Is it me? Did I do something to make you feel ill at ease?"

She dropped her hands immediately. "No! No, not at all." She shook her head with a bashful smile. "I told you, it's ridiculous. I just... I'm... UGH!" she groaned, throwing her head back into the door with a thud. "Okay, oww..."

Immediately, I was next to her, pulling her into my arms and placing a hand at the back of her fragile skull to examine the tissue for injuries. Bella stiffened initially at my sudden nearness. I knew my movement must have been as alarming as it was undetectable to her, but she melted into me nevertheless. She wrapped her own slight arms around my waist and let out a rush of breath.

"Are you alright, love?" I asked, continuing my inspection of the back of her head. There didn't appear to be any swelling or obvious sign of actual injury.

Bella nodded and started mumbling into my shirt. "If you count the fact that I'm acting like all of those silly girls I hated back in middle school and high school as _'fine'_, then yes."

"I don't understand."

She tightened her arms around me, though I barely registered the difference in pressure, and placed a kiss on my chest before looking up at me. "I need to tell you about something. And just the thought of it makes me... anxious."

"What makes you anxious, sweetheart?" I kept my expression and voice neutral, but suddenly felt apprehensive myself.

She sighed. "I have to go out of town this weekend. I have to go see my dad, in Forks."

_Oh._

I smiled, but on the inside I was experiencing enough simultaneous thoughts to fill a few volumes, and most of those thoughts gave me no cause to smile.

Forks.

Forks on the Olympic Peninsula. Forks, located only fifteen point five miles from La Push and the heart of Quileute territory. Forks, where I could not go due to a new stipulation in our treaty with the wolves.

Another word that started with the letter F came to mind.

There was no way around my dilemma. I could not follow Bella if she went to her father's, even in the interest of protecting her, and Alice could not see Bella there as long as one or more of the werewolves was around. If they stayed away then maybe...

Surely all of Forks wasn't off of Alice's radar now just because of its proximity to La Push. _Was it?_ Why _exactly_ couldn't Alice see Bella?

And where was this Victoria going to be hunting with her newborn during all of this?

Less than three seconds had passed, but Bella didn't wait for me to respond. She started speaking again, trying to explain further before I could stop her.

"I completely forgot that I had promised Charlie I would come home this weekend until he called while I was at work today to ask me when I was leaving on Saturday. He took the whole day off from work and everything, so I really do have to go. I'm sorry."

I sighed, not entirely sure why this had her so anxious. Sure, her planned departure was threatening to send me into an utter panic but why would it upset her so?

"Bella, you should never have to apologize for needing to spend time with your family. I told you before that I don't want to take you away from anything in your life. Most especially your family. You need to go. I understand."

I lifted her chin to look at me since her eyes had fallen to the floor once again. "Did you think I would not?"

"It's not that. I just feel silly because I... I don't _want_ to go."

"Why ever not?"

She smiled and flushed. "Well," she swallowed. "I guess it's because you won't be there. You can't come with me."

I stared at her slightly stunned.

She looked away. "I mean, I know it's ludicrous. It's not like we haven't seen each other every day since you came into the dealership last week or anything. And I'll only be gone two nights. And I know you're not supposed to be in Forks anyway... right?"

"Not at the present time, no."

"No..." She looked up with huge, childlike eyes; so full of vulnerability. "Well, that more than anything is why I don't want to go."

I smiled. I just couldn't help myself. My heart was about to burst out of my chest with love for this woman. I reached up to stroke her cheek, lingering and savoring the way she leaned into my touch.

"I don't want you to go, either. Not where I can't follow."

"Okay, I won't go." Bella smiled softly and craned her neck, seeking out my lips with her own. I smiled back and may have smirked a bit as well. She had me feeling pretty good about myself at the moment. Still, I would never take advantage of her affection for me in that way.

"But," I added.

"But?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"You should go see your father. He's expecting you."

Bella sighed and moved back. "I know."

I chuckled in spite of my mixed feelings. Was she pouting? "Try not to sound so disappointed."

"I'll try..." she sighed dramatically and laughed, though it was a nervous sound. I couldn't help but really think about how very worried I was myself.

I knew I was doing the right thing encouraging Bella to spend time with her father, but part of me wanted to keep her in my sights forever and never let her go back to Forks, or anywhere else without me for that matter. I was waging an internal war between what I wanted and what I knew was right.

Sadly, the insecure portion of my psyche was winning out. The thought of Bella being so far from me and in such close proximity to a bunch of werewolves was bad enough. Add to that the reality that those particular werewolves were being targeted by a rogue vampire hell-bent on avenging her mate's destruction and I was absolutely terrified to allow Bella within a hundred miles of Forks.

I gazed down on her and the panic began to take hold. How would I manage to survive two nights without her, knowing that anything could happen to her and I was bound by an asinine treaty to stay away? My heart clenched in silent agony, making me long for Bella's comforting touch like never before.

Pulling her closer to me, I brought one of her hands to my lips briefly before placing it against my cheek. She held it there, brushing my cheek with her soft thumb as I lowered my mouth slowly to kiss her.

I clutched her to me as firmly as I dared, moving my lips against her cautiously but urgently.

Somehow, all of my caution and care for her suddenly seemed like a cruel joke. Soon she would be unprotected and vulnerable to anyone, or anything, that decided to pay the Olympic Peninsula a visit over the weekend. Including the wolves themselves.

I shuddered to think that Alice wouldn't even be able to see it if something like that happened.

Bella responded to my kiss as though she felt my desperation. She slid her hands into the hair at the nape of my neck and held on with more vigor than she'd previously dared. Her lips parted and she sighed, her breath washing over me until I was surrounded by her taste and scent.

It was ecstasy, but also my cue to pull back. Not that I wanted to let her go by any means. I needed her touch, but I just couldn't justify risking her fragile body for any reason.

Bella groaned in disappointment when our lips parted, but allowed me to put some distance between us. I almost changed my mind when I saw her face, how hooded and impossibly dark her eyes were. The attraction there was a palpable thing and called me back to her. Even as I fought my own desire for her, I wondered yet again what was going on inside of her mind.

Was it me or the lure of my vampiric nature that she responded to? Would she always look at me that way, or was I a novelty she would soon outgrow? Why did she want me? How could she when she knew what I was? And did she really have any idea how much danger she was in when she was in my arms?

I knew I would never stop being thankful that her feelings for me didn't seem to be affected by the very things that should have made her afraid, the things that marked me as inhuman. I would also never regret having this time with her even if it were to come to an end someday.

At this point, merely the thought of losing her caused me further agony, but at the same time I felt a pang of remorse that she didn't have the sense to stay away from me. She deserved so much better than a half-life with me.

Bella began to giggle in front of me, oblivious to the torture of my internal dialogue.

I raised an eyebrow in question.

She sighed and smiled up at me. "I just realized that I don't _have_ to see you every day, but I totally _want_ to. Every single day. I'm turning into such a girl."

I chuckled. "What were you before?"

Bella laughed and shook her head. She looked down and her face changed, a deep frown etching into her features.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She shook her head again and smiled weakly. "I really don't like the idea of being in a situation where I'm not _allowed_ to see you. Or rather, you're not allowed to come see me. That is..." She paused and turned red. "...if you even wanted to see me. I didn't stop to think you might need a break from me."

I chuckled. "Silly Bella, I will always want to see you, and I will likely never need a break."

"It's easy to say that now. It's only been a week."

"Time cannot, and will not, change the way I feel about you."

"No?"

"No, not ever. You have no idea how long I've waited for you."

Bella leaned her head into my chest. "It doesn't seem fair, does it? I've only been waiting for you these last few years. You've been alone all along. Why should I get off so easy?"

"Hmmm... you're right. I should make this harder on you," I answered, teasing. Then I thought about my words and they pained me. I sighed and kissed the top of her head. "You only have to risk your life every single minute you're with me."

"And you only have to deal with flames shooting down your throat every single minute you're with me."

"Not true. I can hold my breath."

"Ha ha."

"Bella?"

"Yes, Edward?"

"I'd hold my breath for the rest of your life if it meant I could be with you. I want to spend the rest of your life at your side. If you'll have me."

Bella's head popped up and she looked at me with wide, almost panicked eyes. Her mouth dropped into a little 'O' as I released her from my arms and stepped back a little, smirking. She must have misunderstood.

I swallowed preparing myself for her reaction to the question I had been waiting all day to ask her.

"Bella, would you allow me the privilege of escorting you for a romantic evening out? I'd like very much to be yours officially, and I'm hoping after this last week you will be willing to reconsider your blanket policy on dating supernatural creatures."

She continued to stare at me with her mouth open and her heart racing wildly.

I chuckled and used my forefinger to lift her chin.

"Bella? What do you say? Will you reconsider?"

She finally snapped out of her daze and took a deep breath, laughing a little.

"You scared the hell out of me Edward Anthony. That sounded so... serious."

I smiled. "Well, it wasn't a joke."

"You know what I mean. It sounded like a... life-altering proposition." She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. "Which I do not approve of after only a week."

"Hmmm..." _But perhaps not ever?_ I did not voice my question out loud for decencies sake, but it would be something to consider at some point, that much was sure.

"So... is that a yes? Or a no?"

She smiled. "Yes, I will reconsider my policy. And yes, I will go out with you."

My answering smile felt a mile wide. I hadn't really doubted she would say yes, but Bella never failed to surprise me which left me uncertain. "Thank you, Bella."

"You're welcome, Edward," she giggled. "Just don't say things like that to me again."

I smirked. "Sorry, love. I'll make no promises there."

~(~)~

**End Notes:**

_Well, it was late but I hope the nice long chapter and a little B & E time at the end make up for it._

_HUGE HUGE props to **Katmom** for getting this beta'd in record time! Thank you, Kathie! Also big thanks to **Farawaymomo** for pre-reading & more! :-)  
_

_Like Edward, I make no promises this week. Again, I apologize for falling behind but I will try, Try, TRY to get the next chapter finished before the weekend. The sooner we can get back on schedule, the better. :-)_

Big Hugs, Ginnie


	17. Chapter 16: Picnics and Promises

_**Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**_

_** This chapter contains some directly quoted text that comes straight from the partial draft of Midnight Sun as posted on Stephenie Meyer's website. I take absolutely no ownership of those lines, nor do I make any claim to the lines of dialogue from the Saga used throughout "What Drives Her". _

* * *

**Chapter 16: **

"**Picnics & Promises"**

Bella's freshly showered scent hit me powerfully as soon as she opened the door Saturday evening. The force of it threatened to overwhelm me almost as much as her appearance did from the moment I laid eyes on her.

She looked stunning, even more so than usual. Her brown hair was smooth and fell in long, shiny waves down her back, while her dark blue jeans and purple and navy flannel top fit her well and offset her skin-tone in a very alluring manner. I hoped she couldn't detect how my gaze lingered longer than I would have normally allowed.

"Hello, Bella," I finally said, forcing my eyes to meet hers.

"Hey, you," she smiled.

"You look beautiful this evening, love."

She blushed and shook her head, waving me off as she moved aside to allow me entry. "Oh, um, thank you. I didn't really know what to expect, so I hope this is okay.

"You're perfect, Bella. You just need a jacket."

Bella bit her lip and laughed quietly.

"Is that amusing?" I asked, not understanding her expression and feeling as curious as always.

Bella smiled. "It's nothing really, just... well," she paused and then smiled again, shrugging. "I guess Alice was right."

"Alice? You spoke with my sister?"

Bella blushed slightly again and turned away, walking towards the living room to retrieve a dark blue hooded jacket and handbag. Only with her back to me did she answer.

"We didn't speak. She sent me a text."

"When? Why?"

"Um, about twenty minutes ago. I was sort of freaking out about what to wear tonight... um, you know, since you didn't tell me where we were going? I told you I'm not fond of surprises."

I smiled and yet frowned almost all at once. "Yes, you did mention that. I apologize if I caused you any distress, Bella. That was not my intention."

Bella turned around, fidgeting. "It's okay. I know you were just trying to make tonight special. It's my own self-consciousness that got to me. I haven't done this all that much... and it was intimidating. I knew you'd be dressed appropriately and look perfect no matter what."

The way her face twisted in self-doubt tugged painfully at my dormant heart. She had absolutely no idea how beautiful she was, or how the rest of the world saw her. I told her so immediately, but it only resulted in her attempting to change the subject.

"I really like Alice," she said. "I was more than a little freaked out that she saw me having a crisis while I was getting dressed, but she was very helpful and um... enthusiastic."

I chuckled, ignoring the imagery that her words generated in my mind. "You have no idea. She wasn't too pushy, I hope."

Bella laughed and shook her head in what I interpreted as amused exasperation. "There was a small disagreement over footwear and then she told me she was taking me shopping next week. We exchanged several more texts about that before I gave up. It became pretty clear she was going to win." Bella shrugged.

I grimaced and apologized on Alice's behalf. She and I would be having a conversation about boundaries later, that much was certain.

"You don't have to go shopping with her, Bella. I doubt she took into consideration that you have finals to study for. I'll talk to her and _she will_ respect your studies. You have my word."

Bella frowned. "Don't be upset with her, Edward. She was just trying to help. It's okay."

"Are you sure? You don't know her as well as I do. If you give her an inch, she'll take several miles."

Bella walked towards me and placed her small hand on my chest, over my frozen heart.

"I think I can handle myself. I lived with Jessica Stanley and her own little Mini-Me for two years. I know how to set limits. Alice doesn't scare me, Edward."

I laughed heartily and pulled her into an embrace. "Oh, you really shouldn't have said that, love." Bella's eyes widened slightly and I laughed harder. "Come on, let's get going. We don't have much time or we'll miss it."

Bella raised her eyebrows suspiciously. "Miss what?"

"You'll see." I kissed her forehead and then led her out the door. She closed and locked it, before turning and automatically putting her hand in mine as we walked towards the car.

A few minutes later, Bella was fidgeting again as we drove south on Fifteenth Avenue. She looked out the windows again and then back at me.

"Are you taking me somewhere on campus?" she asked as we passed the undergraduate library and then Meany theater.

"No."

"Oh, okay."

A moment later she pushed me for information again. "Are we taking a left or a right on Pacific?"

I chuckled. "You're very impatient, aren't you?"

She huffed out a small breath and crossed her arms. "No. I'm just... I'm a little nervous."

"Why?" I asked in a soft voice as I took her hand. She sighed and visibly relaxed.

"I honestly don't know. I guess it's just that this is an actual _date_ and I don't know what to expect, or even what you expect from me. Then again, maybe it's because I know that I have to leave in the morning and I want tonight to be perfect. I'm not so good at perfect."

"I disagree entirely, love." I lifted our clasped hands to kiss her knuckles gently before finishing my statement. "Besides, I have no expectations from you. I only hope that we can get to know each other better and enjoy each other's company."

Again, I brought her hand to my lips. Immediately, I was aware of the taste and smell of petroleum oil present on Bella's skin. There was even a trace of rubber there when I purposely inhaled again and tried to analyze it.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked, noticing my strange behavior.

"You have motor oil on your fingers today," I grinned at her.

She pulled her fingers from mine and looked at me sideways. "You would notice that, wouldn't you? I tried to wash them several times."

"Any particular reason why you were washing them in Pennzoil?" I teased.

She started to argue, then stopped short and stared at me.

"What?" I answered, returning her words from moments ago.

"You made a joke."

"I did," I confirmed. "Try not to act so surprised."

She made the oddest face and then laughed again. "Okay. I'll try..."

I grinned crookedly at her. "Thank you. Now, tell me how you ended up getting oil on your lovely skin."

Bella smiled proudly. "I had to give my truck an oil change. Before the drive back to Forks."

"You changed the oil your truck? Yourself?"

She smirked and rolled her eyes. "Yes."

"Today?"

"Yes," she said, humor evident in her voice. "Try not to act so surprised."

But I was surprised. Very surprised. I recalled Bella telling me something about knowing part numbers and labor codes, not mechanics. When I said as much to her, she narrowed her eyes and exhaled heavily.

"I made that statement in regards to your car. I know what I need to about Volvos for my job at the dealership but my truck is not a Volvo, it's a Chevy. Besides, why do men find it so shocking that a girl can take care of basic vehicle maintenance?"

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm not shocked, I'm just... I'm very impressed. You told me that you hung out in La Push to learn about your truck, you just failed to mention that your education was hands on."

"What other kind is there?" she asked. "And what good is learning something if you're not going to use it?"

While she had a solid point, imagining Bella in such a capacity was not something I could do well. The thought was... wow. Over a century of experience, and a vocabulary equal to that of Webster's Dictionary, and all I could come up with to describe my opinion was _wow. _Although, _amazing_ was also an apt description.

Bella laughed quietly, interrupting my thoughts and indicating that I had indeed spoken out loud.

"Well, don't get too excited. I may have learned a thing or two over the years, but my mechanical expertise is pretty much limited to the one engine I need to take care of. Though, I do think I could manage to change the oil in a Volvo. I've watched enough to know _what_ to do, I just haven't ever had to."

"That alone is impressive, Bella. Very few people in your generation know how to do those things themselves anymore, let alone most young women your age."

"I also know how to change a tire. And pump my own gas..." she added.

I smiled. "You're teasing me now."

She laughed. "Yes, I am. Welcome to the twenty-first century, Mr. Cullen."

"Well, thank you, Miss Swan. I'll try not to forget myself again."

Bella sighed and looked down. "That's okay, I forget myself all the time when you're around."

"You know, Bella, I feel the same way. You disarm me completely."

Bella moved to gaze up at me with her large brown eyes and proved my words correct. Just a look from her and I was undone.

"See," I said quietly, reeling from the amount of love and desire I saw in her eyes. The air in the car felt almost as if it were electrically charged as we stared at one another. Fortunately, we'd arrived at our destination and I was able to use the excuse to pull myself away from the depths of her eyes for a moment.

"We're here."

Bella looked around, a bit startled that she hadn't noticed we'd stopped. "Where is here? A park?"

"Yes. This is Gas Works Park. Have you not been before?" I asked, even though Alice had made her predictions.

"No, actually. I haven't."

I smiled. "Good. It will be a first for both of us then."

Gas Works Park was a large open space on the shore of Lake Union that had been converted from a former industrial site. My research indicated that it had one of the best views of the city of Seattle and it was a relatively remote spot, at least outside of national holidays and popular local festivals held there. It was also close to Bella's apartment which was a benefit considering she'd been working all day and was likely tired.

Of course, I knew that I would be able to smell the rusting iron and lingering chemicals coming from the still present gas-production plant that was preserved as a historical landmark. The toxic by-products of the factory that remained in the soil here would most likely be detectable too. Fortunately, none of that would affect Bella and I guessed that she would like the idea of being somewhere out in the open considering her always-present concern for my well-being.

Still, I wondered if she would think I was crazy to bring her here when she saw the defunct industrial structures within the park. I hoped she would see the allure and enjoy herself here once we found a place to sit and enjoy the view.

"Wait right there," I requested before leaving the car to retrieve the picnic basket and blankets I'd packed for Bella in the trunk. Once I had them, I walked around to her door to open it.

"Are we having a picnic?" she asked, stepping out.

"More or less. I know you had a late lunch, so it's not a meal but I brought you some snacks and..."

"It's perfect, Edward," she stopped me. "I thought you might plan something over the top, but this is perfect. It's so much more... _me_, and I've heard that the view of the skyline from here is really pretty."

"Oh, you have?" I asked, feeling vaguely disappointed.

Bella looked immediately apologetic. "Yes, but I've never actually seen it."

She was right of course, that was all that mattered.

"Then let's go find a spot, sweet girl. The sun will be setting soon."

Bella froze. "Wait."

"What is it?"

She looked up at me, concern evident. "Can you..?. I mean, what if it comes out from behind the clouds before then? I just realized that I've never asked about that."

"Alice tells me the clouds won't dissipate until well after dark. If she's wrong you can always throw a blanket over me."

That earned a laugh from Bella and she took my free hand without further protest.

"Does it hurt you? The sun, I mean," she asked a minute later while we walked.

"No, but it makes it impossible for us to hide. People would know we aren't human," I answered in a low voice.

"How?"

I smiled and applied a slight pressure to her fingers, knowing she would perceive it as a squeeze. "I'll have to show you sometime. Just not tonight."

"Obviously," she answered with a sly smile.

After wandering along the sidewalks and looking around for a little while, Bella chose a spot on the hill near the water where she wanted to stop and sit. I laid out the larger of the two blankets I'd brought and placed the picnic basket in one corner while Bella waited patiently.

"Please... sit," I said softly, gesturing to the space behind me.

"Thank you." Bella did as I suggested, but only after kicking her shoes off and placing them to the side of the blanket. Her actions explained the presence of a pair of wool socks that I had discovered hiding in the bottom of the basket when I opened it. Not surprisingly, they smelled like Alice.

"It appears Alice inspected this after I packed it and found the contents lacking," I commented, holding the socks out to her. "Here, I do believe these are for you."

Bella laughed and shook her head. "Gee, thanks."

She seemed to inspect them for a moment before shrugging and putting them on.

I leaned over and kissed her temple. "They look cute on you."

"Is that your iPod?" she asked without acknowledging my compliment.

"It is. Do you have one? We could listen to yours instead."

"Oh, no. I have a little generic brand MP3 player but it's at home. This is fine. I'd like to find out what you're listening to anyway."

I smiled diffidently. "I listen to a lot of different things. You may not like everything I have on there."

"Well, we'll just have to find out won't we? Besides, I like the idea of sharing head phones with you. It's like the modern day version of splitting a milkshake."

I laughed. "I guess it is. Although, I brought a portable speaker with me as well."

"I think I'd prefer sharing headphones," Bella answered, smiling up from under her eyelashes and bringing my thoughts to a temporary standstill. She quickly blinked and looked away. "What else did you bring?"

It took me a moment to gather my senses. It was obvious that Bella had no idea the affect she had on me. Once again, all it took was a simple look from her big, brown eyes to make me feel more human than I had in ninety years. Clearing my throat, I answered her question.

"I brought some bottled water, as well as a thermos of hot chocolate. There are a variety of fruits, cheeses, and crackers in there, and I also bought a box of cookies and brownies from a bakery that is apparently 'to die for'. Although I sincerely hope that is not in the literal sense."

Bella smiled. "If you ate enough of them I suppose it would be true. It's supposed to mean they're delicious, though."

"Surprisingly enough, I am aware of that fact." I tapped my forehead and grinned at her.

"Right." Her cheeks flushed pink. "You were joking again... I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize... but yes, I was joking. I enjoy making you smile and laugh. Your laugh is one of my favorite sounds in the world."

Her blush deepened and I couldn't help but reach out to caress her cheek. "And that, is one of my favorite sights..."

"Mmm," Bella moaned softly, leaning into my hand and allowing her eyes to flutter closed. "When you say things like that I can't think straight," she whispered.

I chuckled and removed my hand slowly, not wanting her to topple over. "I'll stick to easy questions for you then. For instance, would you like something to eat or drink?"

Bella opened her eyes and sighed. "No, not right now."

"Would you like to choose some music? Or may I?"

"Hmm... you choose. For now." She smiled lightly and then handed my iPod Touch back to me.

I found a playlist of various bands that I thought Bella might like based on our previous conversations and selected it.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather I use the portable speaker?" I asked before plugging in the headphones. "It might be easier to talk and relax that way."

Bella shrugged. "I don't want to disturb anyone."

"I promise to let you know if we're drawing any attention." I smiled, hoping she would trust me.

"Alright," she smiled. A few moments later, music hummed softly from the SoundDock I'd purchased just for tonight. Bella sighed. "I like this song."

"Me too," I answered and turned to face her. "Are you comfortable?" I wanted to make sure that she wasn't already cold sitting in the evening air.

"Mm-hmm," she nodded and then looked down. "This is really nice, Edward. Nobody's ever brought me on a picnic or done anything like this for me before."

"I find that almost impossible to believe. Surely someone..."

"No," she said emphatically. "They didn't. The most interesting date I've been on was to a concert."

I smiled, though on the inside I was irate that this beautiful creature had never been paid the kind of attention she deserved.

"What kind of concert was it?" I asked, ignoring my stronger feelings.

She narrowed her brow in concentration. "Um... Kings of Leon, like two years ago or something. I didn't even know who they were at the time."

"Why did you go then?"

She laughed. "Because I was asked... and because I didn't have a reason not to go."

I studied her face, her tone of voice, the way her hands moved when she spoke. Unfortunately, they didn't reveal exactly what she was thinking or the things she was leaving out. It was maddening.

"So you acquiesced because you found it difficult to decline the offer?"

Bella's mouth dropped open a little. "Uh... no," she said, as though I offended her.

"I'm sorry, Bel-"

"I don't know..."

We spoke at the same time. I smiled and asked her to continue.

"I don't know that I would say I didn't know how to turn him down. It's more like... I don't know," she shook her head and bit her bottom lip. "He was a nice guy and we got along, and I wasn't really dating anyone exclusively, so... I went. I like music and I haven't been to too many concerts so it sounded fun."

"And was it fun?"

She blew out a breath. "I guess so. Do you really want to hear about that?"

"I want to know everything about you."

"Even how much fun I did or did not have on a date with some other guy?"

I cringed a little but recovered my composure. "I just want to know more about you, Bella. What you like, what you don't like, what makes you happy. If that was something you enjoyed, then I would want to know. If you had a miserable time, I would want to know that as well."

"Oh." She seemed to think for a moment. "Okay then... I enjoyed the concert, but it wasn't a very good date. At least not a good first date. This is a thousand times better."

I had a mental image of giving one of my brothers a fist bump, but outwardly I just smiled and took her hand.

Bella returned my smile and twined her fingers with mine, before turning her head to admire the changing view. The sun was sinking fast and the clouds were dispersing almost as quickly, revealing the first few stars in the darkening sky.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked her as she watched the city scape transform with the dawning of twilight.

"I'm trying not to think. I just want to _be._ Here. With you."

"Me too," I said and moved closer to her. She slid towards me until our bodies were side by side facing the water. "But I still want to know what you're _not_ thinking."

Bella sighed and dropped her head to lean against my shoulder. Wrapping my arm around her, I tucked her into my side and breathed deeply of her scent. It made me ache inside as the sudden awareness of how much I was going to miss her this weekend settled over me. As she leaned into me further, our impending separation was suddenly all I could think of and I supposed it must have been what Bella was trying to avoid thinking about as well.

She sighed again. "It's so pretty, Edward. Does it seem that way to you or do your eyes see every imperfection and flaw?"

"There's always beauty to be found in the way the colors play over the water and how the light changes at dusk. I enjoy this time of day."

I turned to look down at her at the same time she lifted her head to gaze up at me and our noses bumped. Bella giggled quietly, as I muttered an apology before surprising even myself by surging forward to steal a small kiss.

Normal human desires drew me to her hastily, but my sense of decency and concern for her safety demanded that I pull away almost as soon as our lips touched. Despite my retreat, Bella brought one of her small hands to my neck in an attempt to hold me to her and parted her mouth in invitation.

I almost groaned out loud at the taste and scent of her, which threatened to overwhelm both me and the monster. Before my relatively innocent display of young love could turn into a battle for Bella's blood, I found the strength to remove myself from her embrace. The thoughts of a nearby witness to our kiss gave me further motivation to put some distance between Bella and myself.

"We're not exactly alone, love," I whispered when met with questioning brown eyes.

The explanation must have been satisfactory to her, because Bella then resumed her place tucked into my side with nothing more than a slight nod. She remained silent as darkness surrounded us and the lights of Seattle grew brighter.

I wondered again what she was thinking, but attempted to make an effort to enjoy the simple pleasure of being near her. Despite the dual nature of her effect on me, everything about Bella brought me comfort. Her scent, her breath, her warmth, her heartbeat; I felt them as though they flowed through me. When I held her in my arms, I could fool myself into believing that my long dead body was as vibrant and alive as hers.

As the minutes passed, I eventually felt Bella shiver against me and was reminded that I was not the same kind of alive she was. I knew her fragile body would not be able to stay outdoors much longer without protection from the rapidly cooling air. I reached over to unroll a second blanket that I'd brought and wrapped Bella in it like it was a cocoon. She protested mildly, but as soon as I slid behind her and allowed her to lean back against my chest, she stopped fussing.

"Thank you," she said, resting the back of her head against my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around the outside of her blanket and hugged her gently.

"You're welcome."

Bella sighed softly. "You make me feel so... I don't even know. I wish there was some way for me to tell you or show you. And I wish I could do the same for you."

"You do," I told her, my lips brushing her temple. "With every breath you take..." I caressed the spot behind her ear, "...and every beat of your heart." I tightened my hold on her as much as I dared and rested my chin on her shoulder. "Just the thought of you makes me feel happier and more alive than I've felt in my entire existence. I never imagined anything like this. I didn't believe I would ever find someone I wanted to be with... in another way than my family."

Bella trembled in my arms and exhaled a shuddering breath. "Are you alright?" I asked, slightly alarmed. She nodded but her trembling continued to ebb and flow. "Did I say something wrong, love?"

"No," she whispered. "On the contrary. Everything you say is right. Everything you do drives me wild."

I couldn't help the silly grin that overtook me. "Really?"

"Oh, yes," she laughed breathlessly.

I touched my lips briefly to her neck where it met her shoulder and was rewarded with a shudder from Bella.

She giggled when I did it again.

"That good, huh?" I asked, preening my proverbial feathers.

"Don't act surprised, Mr. Being-of-Superior-Strength, Speed and Intellect. You're good at everything."

I shrugged and we both laughed quietly.

More light hearted moments passed as the sky darkened completely and night fell. We talked about our favorite places in Seattle and Bella told me about the many things she'd never made time to do because she was focused on school and work. We talked more about her childhood in Phoenix, and I told her as much as I could remember of my life in Chicago.

Eventually, Bella shifted uncomfortably and wiggled away from me to lie down on the blanket next to me. She rolled onto her side and propped her head up on one elbow, smiling up at me. I mimicked her position facing her a moment later.

"So you had green eyes?" she asked when I settled.

"Yes. Though, Carlisle's memories are the only reason I can remember. Sometimes I think I can remember the exact shade of my mother's eyes, but I know I'm relying on what I've seen in his mind."

"For some reason I just can't imagine you with green eyes. I love your eyes now. They're one of my favorite things about you. The way they change with your mood, the complexity, the gold flecks that make them seem luminescent at times... I get lost in them."

Bella's words took me by surprise and filled me with conflicting emotions. Her sincerity was obvious from her tone and it affected me profoundly. My body remained unmoving as I pondered how she could possibly feel that way about something so alien and inhuman.

The whole time she remained staring into my eyes, examining them. She eventually reached up to run her forefinger along my brow. I shuddered under her touch.

"My eyes must be so boring in comparison. Brown and boring..." she whispered. I shook my head, moving for the first time since she'd brought it up.

"Not at all. You're eyes are not only beautiful, but they're fathomless, Bella. They're one of _my _favorite things about _you_. Well, every part of you is one of my favorite things, but I really do find your big brown eyes very alluring."

Bella blushed and ducked her head, which simply wouldn't do. I gently stroked her cheek and then wrapped my fingers around the nape of her neck.

"Please don't hide those gorgeous eyes from me, look at me."

She did and I leaned towards her, lowering my lips to hers. Our mouths moved together in several soft but long kisses before I pulled away and Bella flopped onto her back breathing heavily. I followed her example, swimming in her scent and relishing the burn like the masochist I was turning into. I also realized with some alarm that the sweet torture of Bella's blood would likely be truly excruciating to me once again after being away from her for the next few days. I did my best to ignore those unpleasant thoughts.

We spent the next hour in a similar pattern. We talked, we kissed, and we parted with both of us in desperate need of different kinds of control. Soon, Bella grew tired and she snuggled against me, seeking her favorite place to rest.

Though I couldn't imagine it being comfortable to her, my chest had become her preferred pillow over the last few nights and within minutes of lying her head on my chest, her breathing evened out. I knew I only had moments before she would fall asleep and I still had one more topic to broach with her, one more gesture of the love I felt for her.

"Bella?" I asked, stroking my fingers along her ear in a way I knew would get her attention.

She breathed deeply and stirred, mumbling a contented sounding, "yes."

I called her name again, my voice sultry and smooth on purpose.

"Bella... I have something I want to give you."

Her sleepy eyes opened and she lifted her head to stare at me, unblinking. I could tell she was already about to protest, so I smiled and gazed intently back at her then lowered my voice a bit more. "It's not a gift so much as something I'd like you to do for me. Will you do something for me?"

Her eyes were a little glassy, but otherwise suspicious. "What do you... what is it you want me to do?"

"Take this..." I said, placing the small trinket in her palm and closing her fingers around it. I waited while she peeled open her fingers.

"What... What is this, Edward?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch.

"It's a key."

"I see that," she answered quickly. "Why are you giving it to me?"

"It's yours."

"This is a car key, Edward!" she exclaimed pushing herself up from my chest.

"Yes, it is," I grinned, knowing I shouldn't play with her when she was upset, but finding myself unable to resist. Her anger was utterly adorable.

"Edward!"

"It's my spare, love... and I want you to have it."

"Why?" She sat up fully, leaving me lying on the ground looking up at her. I reached up to push the hair back from her neck and stroke the soft skin there.

"I want you to take the Volvo this weekend when you go to Forks."

"Why?" she huffed, blinking because of the way I was touching her.

"Because it's faster, safer, and more comfortable. It also has GPS and gets better gas mileage. Shall I continue?"

Bella huffed and grabbed my hand, stopping my movements. "My truck is comfortable! You've never even been in it, so how can you judge?"

"I don't have to get in your vehicle to know the Volvo is a better choice, Bella. I was around when that death trap of yours was brand new. Even back then, it wasn't as comfortable as the Volvo. Trust me, love."

"Edward... I'm not taking your car! It's too much! I still have your computer for crying out loud!"

"Which you're also welcome to take with you... I have one at home. We can G-chat," I explained.

"Are you being serious?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Edward, no. I'm not taking your car."

"Please, Bella? Do this for me. I'll worry about you enough while you're there. At least give me this one thing... It's the only thing I can do to keep you safe when you go. What if something happens and you need to get back quickly?"

"I doubt your Volvo could outrun a psychotic vampire, Edward. Is that what this is about?"

I winced visibly and lied. "No."

"Edward..."

"I just need to know that I've done all I can. You've already shot down every other idea I've had."

"Yes, because they're all ridiculous!"

I sat up to face her.

"Not to me. What if something happens to you while you're driving that truck and I'm trapped here because of some stupid treaty?"

"Edward, nothing is going to happen to me. I've made that drive plenty of times in my truck. I checked the tires today, I checked the oil... I'll be fine."

She pulled her blanket up around her shoulders and rose to her knees. Anticipating her next move, I pulled her into my lap while managing to keep her covers between us. As soon as she was settled in my arms, she reached out and touched my brow lightly.

"Tell me how I would explain a brand new car to Charlie?"

"You could tell him it's a loaner."

"I don't want to lie to my father if I don't have to. I've already had to keep so much from him. He doesn't know about the pack or any of the tribal legends."

"What if you told him a version of the truth? What if you simply told him it was your boyfriend's car, and he wanted you to take it instead of your truck? That's the truth isn't it?"

Bella smiled, her cheeks turning pink. "Yes... if I can even manage to call you my boyfriend. You seem like much more than that."

"Do I?" I asked, my dead heart giving a phantom lurch.

"Well, yeah... but I don't think Charlie would understand. What if he asks questions about you? Or what if Sam or one of the guys from La Push shows up and sees your car there in Forks? What if they think you broke the treaty?"

"You'll tell them the truth. If they try to find my scent anywhere else on the Peninsula, they won't be able to. Maybe Carlisle would even call Sam to give him some warning." I shrugged, even I knew that last suggestion was rather counterproductive and juvenile.

"And if he questions the nature of our relationship? Then what?" Bella asked. She sighed. "Edward, I love you and I love that you would actually let me drive your car, but it's just not a good idea. Do you really want me to have to deal with the consequences by myself?"

I ground my teeth together. "No, of course not." She looked taken aback by my tone, so I smiled wryly and kissed her forehead. "How old are you again?" I asked her, teasing.

"I'm twenty-two and don't change the subject,"Bella scolded playfully and wound her hands into my hair, thoroughly distracting me from why I'd been irritated.

"I'm not changing the subject. I'm simply pondering how it's possible that you've succeeded in gaining the advantage over someone with eight decades of life experience on you."

Bella smiled and shook her head at me. "My mother's been telling me that my whole life. Well, not the eight decades part, but you know what I mean."

I smiled and tried to imagine Bella as a child outwitting her mother. The idea made me feel a little better, but not much.

"So, you're going to be taking that blasted truck to Forks in the morning?"

"I am," Bella answered sweetly.

I sighed again and kissed her softly. "We should get you home so you can get plenty of rest before then."

"I'm not ready to go just yet," she whispered, smiling and shifting closer to me before throwing some of her blanket aside.

"Oh?" I asked, one eyebrow lifted in question. I knew what she wanted of course, but I was hesitant to start that at this particular time and place. On one hand, the fresh air made it easier for me to be close to her. On the other hand, the idea of a public display just didn't sit well with the way I was brought up.

Of course that was a long time ago, I mused.

Bella hummed as if in response to my thoughts and just as I believed she was going to kiss me, she turned away from me and crawled towards the picnic basket, opening the lid with her back to me.

I laughed and watched her shoulders shake as she tried not to. The little vixen had done that on purpose.

"You're going to pay for that, love," I purred.

Bella giggled as she retrieved the thermos I'd packed for her and I wasted no time in taking it from her.

"Hey!" she squealed trying to pull it back from me and failing. She crossed her arms over her chest indignantly as I began to open it for her. "And here I thought you were a gentleman!"

"I am," I defended myself, handing her a mug of lukewarm hot chocolate.

Bella accepted it and paused before bringing it to her lips. "You really are. Thank you. For everything tonight."

She took a sip of her drink and it left a small line on her lip. I watched in rapt fascination as she licked it away with the tip of her tongue. I chastised myself for the rather ungentlemanly thoughts that popped into my head as a result.

"Does it look good to you? Even though you can't have it?" Bella suddenly asked.

I blinked at her, stunned by her question. It took my vampire mind a bit longer than usual to respond thanks to the thickened haze of my desirous thoughts.

"I'm sorry?" I responded, almost choking over the words.

Bella smiled and just lifted her mug up a little.

"The hot chocolate... Does it look at all appealing to you anymore? You were looking at it like it might."

If I could have blushed, I definitely would have. Relief coursed through me upon realizing my blunder.

"No, not really. The color and smell are all wrong."

Bella wrinkled her nose and grimaced. I smirked, glad for the distraction.

"Finally, I get a normal reaction out of you."

Bella narrowed her eyes at me. "I told you I can't handle the smell of blood. Ironic as that is." She took another drink and then shrugged.

"What do you mean, you can't handle the smell of blood?"

"Uh, well, I guess it makes me sort of lightheaded or nauseated. I don't even have to see it for it to make me sick. It's embarrassing to be honest."

I stared at her in slight awe. How could she handle what I am with such ease if that was the case?

"You're right, that is very ironic," I said finally. "Although, you hadn't mentioned that to me before now. You only said you had a _'thing'_ with blood."

She smiled and shook her head. "Well, that's the '_thing'. _It's the smell. I guess I wouldn't make a very good vampire, would I?"

I froze in place and erratic thoughts raced around unbidden in my head. Memories of another time and place; visions my sister swore could not be avoided. Alice and Bella, their arms wrapped around each other in trusting friendship. But there was no difference in those arms–both were white, smooth as marble, hard as steel. Bella's eyes were no longer chocolate. The irises were shocking, vivid crimson. Her face was cold and immortal.

But there was one more horrifying image—worse than any other image I'd ever held inside my head. My eyes, deep crimson with human blood, the eyes of a monster. Bella's body lay broken in my arms, ashy white, drained, lifeless. It had been such a clear, concrete vision. One that had kept Bella safe from me for over five years. Now I'd tossed it aside and given in to my own weaknesses. But at what cost?

If I ended her, I ended myself.

"Edward?" Bella's voice called out to me sounding concerned. What a mockery I had made of her love. I was horrible for ever allowing her to love me. What had I done?

"Hey... Edward, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I was just making a stupid joke, but I can see now it wasn't funny. I'm sorry."

She was suddenly right in front of me, smelling of chocolate, all the while piercing me with her chocolate brown eyes. She put her small hands up to touch my face, but I stopped her and took hold of them.

"I cannot allow anything like that to happen to you, Bella. Ever. I will not stand by and see you lose your humanity... your soul."

"Wa- What are you talking about? Why would you say that? I know you would never hurt me."

"Not intentionally, no. But..."

"But what?"

"Nothing."

"It's not nothing. I can see it in your eyes. Or rather I could before you just totally checked out there for a minute. What wrong, Edward? What are you not telling me?"

Her voice trembled and when I looked up at her, her pained expression was obvious despite the fact she was trying not to show it.

"Bella... It's really nothing, love. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." I pulled her to me, wrapping her in my arms once again. I moved to kiss the top of her head, but she looked straight up just moments before I did.

"Did Alice see me like you? Did she see something happening to me? Did you come back just to try and stop it?"

"No. I told you, my family came first. I followed them back here. And Alice couldn't see you until after we were already back and you stopped spending so much time with Embry."

Bella frowned. "Embry?"

"Alice cannot see the werewolves in her visions. She can't see you either when you make a decision that has the potential to tie your fate to theirs."

"I don't understand." Her frown deepened and she squirmed as if she were going to try and get up.

I held her fast and kissed her nose.

"Don't feel bad. It took us quite a long time to figure it out ourselves." I smiled then and began rubbing her back in what I hoped was a soothing motion. "When you're at work, Alice can only see you some of the time. And that's only because she's been concentrating on you recently. Anytime you interact with one of the wolves, you disappear off of her radar. Last week when I brought you home after dinner, we both disappeared on her. So-"

"This whole time I've been friends with the boys... Alice couldn't see anything to do with me?"

"Basically. She once told me that she'd had a vision of you in Florida somewhere."

Bella nodded. "Renee. I've visited her in Jacksonville a couple of times."

"Bella?" I asked after giving her a moment to her thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"Alice won't be able to see you this weekend for the most part. You disappeared on her when you made the decision to go, which means that one or more of the werewolves must be involved somehow."

"And that's why you're worried something is going to happen to me... isn't it?"

"Yes. I know they're your friends, but werewolves are not exactly known for being stable. Not only that, but you are susceptible to any number of accidents without their interference."

"You enjoy reminding me of that, don't you? However, may I remind you that my innate clumsiness aside, the boys have been protecting their entire tribe and parts of Forks for years."

"But you're mine to protect now, Bella. You're my life, my everything."

"Edward..." Bella sighed my name and tilted her face to me.

She slid her hands around the back of my neck and into my hair again as I lowered my lips to hers once more. She responded eagerly and I breathed her in as we kissed.

Her scent, for as much as it burned, was like a drug to me. Even though it was reckless, I couldn't get enough. Somehow, it managed to calm me and arouse me at the same time. When Bella parted her lips and I felt the moist heat of her mouth more intimately, I knew it was time to pull away before I did something truly foolish.

Fortunately for my faltering control, the park closed to the public shortly thereafter and Bella and I reluctantly packed up our picnic and returned to the car. We were back at Bella's apartment inside of ten minutes and not long after I was holding my sweet girl in my arms, serving as her favorite pillow and humming her nearly finished lullaby.

The next morning shortly after dawn, Bella rose and readied herself wordlessly. She was quiet all the way to Edmonds and only spoke once we were parked on the car deck of the ferry across Puget Sound. I would have to stay on board when we arrived in order to preserve our agreement with the Quileutes, but at least I had Bella to myself for twenty more minutes.

"Edward? When I get back, I want to talk more about some of the things we said last night."

I smiled, pleased to hear her voice her intent to return to me.

"Anything, love."

"Do you promise?

I raised an eyebrow and thought quickly over the whole of our conversation during our date last night. "Perhaps... what did you want to talk about?"

"You never answered me when I asked if Alice had seen me becoming... well, like you."

I had a hard time control my hardened expression and subsequent low growl. "That's not going to happen, Bella. You don't have to worry about it."

"Well, maybe I'm not as worried as I am curious. Like I said, we don't have to talk about it until I come back. Just be prepared."

"Bella..."

"No, please, Edward... I'm not going to argue about this with you now. Just wait until after the weekend."

"Not even then," I said emphatically.

She scowled at me and then crossed her arms in front of her. "You do realize that by making something forbidden you only increase its appeal? Psychology 101, babe. I thought you'd been to college a couple of times already?"

My eyes widened at her challenge and then I laughed loudly.

"Fine, Bella. Whatever you say."

She smiled and stepped towards me, wrapping her arms around my waist. "That's much better. Thank you."

I sighed and held her as tightly as I dared. "You have to promise me something though, love."

She looked up. "What is it?"

"Be safe. And come back to me."

She reached up and caressed my cheek with her warm, fragile fingers. "I promise."

I nodded and kissed her softly. We stayed wrapped up in each other, making every attempt to shut out the rest of the world for the rest of the journey. When we felt the ferry come to a halt at the dock in Kingston, it was too soon. Five minutes later, Bella was on her way to Forks in her ancient truck and I was already tugging on my hair from the strain of letting her go.

Shortly after Bella's truck rounded a bend in the highway and dropped out of sight, my phone rang.

"Hi, Alice," I answered, figuring that she'd seen me sulking.

"Edward." Her tone told me everything. I knew it was serious when Alice skipped the pleasantries.

"What's wrong?"

"Victoria's made her decision."

"And?"

"You better get home."

"I'm on my way."

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_**Thank you for reading, as always, a review would be lovely!**_

_** ~Ginnie**_


	18. Chapter 17: Decisions Part 1

_**Author's Notes:**_

_Hello Loves!_

_"On time" is a relative term right? Notes at the bottom, enjoy the chapter! :-) Ginnie_

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_**Disclaimer: **__The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, 2010. No copyright infringement is intended._

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**Chapter 17: **

"**Decisions: Part 1"**

"Tell me," I said. My voice was loud enough for my entire family to hear me even though I hadn't quite made it past the front drive yet.

I could tell that the news was not good. Alice's cryptic phone call along with the thoughts I now picked up on from my family told me a lot. Everyone was able to detect her stress despite the fact that she'd refused to discuss it until I was home.

Alice was in front of me as soon as I stepped inside.

"First of all, Bella should be fine this weekend, but..." she paused, letting me see for myself. I scanned her thoughts quickly, grateful for the fact that, at the moment, she wasn't hiding anything from me.

"Victoria is returning to Seattle," I sighed and pulled at my hair. It seemed impossible that Bella had had her hands in it just half an hour ago. "When does that happen?" I asked, watching Alice as she recalled for me what she'd seen.

"Soon. The day after tomorrow at the latest."

"Do you know where she is now?"

"She's on her way to somewhere outside of Olympia the best I can tell. There was a bar I was able to identify and get the address for."

"Alice! Olympia is closer to Forks than Seattle! How can you say that Bella will be fine?"

"I said she should be fine... and to be honest, Edward, Victoria would have to go through the heart of Quileute territory before she could ever get to Forks. And that's i_f_ she were planning on going to Forks at all, which she's not."

"Are you sure?" I demanded.

"As sure as I can be."

"And what about the newborn? What if he makes an instinct driven choice, rather than a conscious decision to go that way, Alice?"

"That's why you needed to come home."

Alice let me in to her thoughts and I cringed at the mix of things she was showing me; some of them quite gruesome.

_You know what this means, yes? _she thought.

I nodded and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Where's Jasper?"

"I'm here."

By now our entire family had assembled around the large open foyer. Jasper was behind Alice almost as soon as I'd asked for him. Soon after, Carlisle and Esme appeared from the living room and finally Emmett and Rosalie joined us from the family room downstairs.

"What's going on, Edward? Alice?" Carlisle asked.

Alice answered him. "I'm starting to see what Victoria is up to, and I think that Jasper was right."

Carlisle's mind, analytical and methodical as ever, refused to jump to conclusions.

"Please explain what you've seen," he said, his voice full of a calm that did not match the dread lurking in his thoughts.

Alice sighed and pressed her fingers to her temples for a moment.

"I can't be sure because any decision directly involving her vendetta against the werewolves is hidden to me. But... I have seen that this is not the first time that Victoria's made a _companion," _Alice used the word loosely. "Nor will it be the last."

"How many has she changed?" Carlisle asked. He remembered the string of failed attempts that Alice had seen in her visions two weeks ago. Victoria had killed several individuals before succeeding in her quest to create her newest addition.

"Three that I've seen."

"So many..." Carlisle murmured, already calculating the loss of so many lives. It horrified him.

"I think that she has plans to-"

Alice's voice cut out and she met my gaze with hollow eyes. My mind was filled instantly with one of her visions. It was strange how they worked sometimes; how they came out of nowhere, but quite often just when it served a purpose.

_"Don't let anything happen to this one. If you love me... if you want me... you'll keep him alive and out of trouble. Can you do that, my pet?"_

_ "Why do we need him, Victoria? Why do we need any of them? And why are you leaving again? We can go away, you and me. We can-"_

The voice of the younger vampire in my head cut off as the steel hard length of Victoria's arm struck him hard enough to knock him down. She was on him in the next moment; kissing, pawing, cooing, and whispering false words of apology and devotion into his ear.

_"Just a few more, my pet. Just enough of them to best our enemies. To ensure we survive what's ahead, and that we survive it together."_

As soon as the vision had faded, Jasper picked up on both of our emotions and pulled Alice to him. "What is it, darlin'? What did you see?"

"You were right. She's going to use them to fight for her," Alice whispered.

"Are you sure, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

"She's sure," I answered.

The room had grown quite still except for Emmett. He'd been so wrapped up in repairing his relationship with Rosalie during the last week that he hadn't been privy to some of the more private conversations around the house. Consequently, he was confused.

"Can I just ask... what did I miss here?" he asked.

"Just a moment, Emmett. Let's continue this in the dining room," Carlisle said and ran a hand through his hair. His thoughts were cautious and I wondered what it was he was trying to hold back from openly thinking about.

Wordlessly, we arranged ourselves around the table as was customary in our family. As soon as the last of us was seated, our father began. The whole time he was speaking, my own mind was running through a thousand different scenarios, almost half of them ending up with Bella being hurt or killed.

"Alright, so Jasper made an educated guess when Alice initially started having visions of Victoria. He believed that she may have had plans for the young man that she saw being changed."

"So... Why are you all acting so surprised? It was already obvious that the red-head's off her rocker, right?"

Carlisle shook his head and Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"We knew that she had nefarious motives where the wolves were concerned, but we did not realize just how far she was willing to go. It makes me fear for the Quileute people. I fear for each of you, for our future, and for the disastrous consequences her actions could bring."

Jasper expounded on Carlisle words. "With multiple newborns running around there are bound to be unexplained disappearances and maimed or missing bodies. It's only a matter of time before someone notices and comes to investigate."

"Someone meaning the Volturi," Emmett stated simply.

"Yes."

Jasper tightened his hold on Alice and I ached at the reminder of just how far away Bella was already. I must have made some sort of sound, because it wasn't long until all eyes were on me.

Worry was the strongest sentiment I got from them. A visit from Italy would not bode well for me at this time. Given my current situation with Bella, we all knew the consequences.

Rosalie narrowed her eyes at me and mentally berated me.

"Shut up, Rose," I growled. "I realize that! Believe me when I say it's been on my mind for some time."

"And yet you persist in being irresponsible!"

"Children," Esme scolded.

Carlisle offered her a small smile as he put his hands on the table and stood.

"Edward, I know you are feeling the strain of this situation, but please refrain from growling at your sister. And Rosalie? Whatever you have to say to Edward, I ask that you say it out loud or not at all. Bella is with your brother now. That makes her a part of this family."

"But-"

"That said," Carlisle continued, patiently ignoring Rosalie's protest. "This _entire_ family is at risk if someone has plans to create more newborn vampires for the sole purpose of building an army. Jasper's right. The Volturi would not abide such a thing in this day and age and therefore, neither will we."

I looked at my father in shock. I hadn't seen his thoughts take such a definitive edge prior to the moment he spoke them. "Carlisle, you-"

"Son, I'm not finished." He met my eyes.

_I would have discussed this with you sooner, but you have been otherwise occupied. _

He continued his speech without missing a beat, but I noticed the slight smirk that appeared at the corner of his mouth. It wasn't often that he surprised me.

"Despite the fact that we cannot ignore what is happening, there is no easy solution here. I do not condone violence and I do not wish to make a habit of interfering with the habits of the rest of our kind. However, we must find a way to prevent Victoria from ending countless more innocent lives and potentially starting a war that could end in the extermination of the Quileute nation, not to mention exposing our world to the rest of mankind. Surely you all agree?"

Murmurs of acquiescence filled the room, with the exception of Jasper and Rosalie.

I looked at my brother and saw his thoughts clearly. They were only of Alice. There was a small afterthought that told me he wished to spare all of us from ever seeing the kind of horrors he'd lived through in his past. In a microsecond, he allowed me to see the full extent of his anxieties along with his desperate need to protect his mate. I swallowed hard, knowing that for the first time, I felt the same things he did in that regard. Perhaps even more intensely because I felt them for Bella. My very breakable, very mortal Bella.

"I apologize, Carlisle. My first responsibility is to Alice. If there is a way to prevent a fight, I'm in. If we can do nothing to stop it, this feud is not our own. I will not place my mate in harm's way for a bunch of wolves."

"I agree," Rosalie announced gladly. "This isn't our fight. My vote is that we stay out of it. If things become too conspicuous to be ignored then we move on and leave it all behind."

The snarl that left my chest was involuntary and echoed by an exasperated huff from Alice, who gave Rose a disgusted look. It didn't take a mind-reader to figure out that when she said 'leave it all behind', she meant Bella.

"Rosalie, Edward, please..." Carlisle sighed.

I made an effort to keep my voice down, but my sister's attitude was not something I wished to ignore any longer. "Do you really think that I would just leave her here? Defenseless? Do you not know me at all?"

"She wouldn't need defending if you would leave her alone. Besides, she has her pet dogs to keep her safe."

"That just shows how little you actually know about the situation, Rose. A few weeks ago, I would have agreed with you but a lot has changed. Have you not been paying attention at all in the last month? I know you're a generally selfish individual, but what is your problem!"

I knew I'd crossed a line, but then so had Rosalie.

"_Me? _What about you? What happened to family coming first? You're supposed to be _our _brother!"

"Enough. Both of you!" Carlisle raised his voice. Jasper did his best to diffuse the tension in the room, but not before Rose tried to get in another word.

"No, Carlisle. I've stayed quiet and kept my feelings to myself-"

Esme suddenly stood at our father's side and put a hand up, interrupting my sister's rant.

"No, Rosalie, you haven't kept quiet. I love you, my dear, but you are not being honest or fair right now. We all understand how you feel. Unfortunately, the time for that has passed. Bella has known our secret all along. Even with that knowledge, she's chosen Edward. At this point, the objections you have involve private matters between your brother and his mate."

Carlisle cleared his throat and added to what my mother had to say. "As a family, we will stand by Edward's decisions concerning Bella without question. We will not be moving on without her unless that is what they both want."

It was quiet a moment while we all absorbed Carlisle's words and Jasper worked to pacify our moods.

I felt his effect on us, but I also felt like I was having an out of body experience, as if I were observing this moment from several miles away rather than living it here and now. So much had changed so fast. How had we gone from deciding that it was in her best interest to avoid Bella altogether, to defending her place in our family?

"Now... regarding Victoria," Carlisle moved on. "If we stand idly by and do nothing, then I believe we are morally culpable for the damage she does."

Rosalie stood and caused Jasper to have to redouble his efforts with her. "Why? We're not at fault! This has nothing to do with us!"

"Rosie," Emmett begged. "Shh..." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap while Jasper worked to calm her down.

Carlisle waited a moment and then spoke directly to Rosalie's objections.

"This situation has the potential to unravel all that we've worked to build for ourselves, Rose. If Victoria succeeds in her quest to slaughter the pack, then we will likely never be able to return to this region. Do you think that their people, their descendants, will make a distinction between one kind of vampire and another? When you consider that there are only so many places in the world where we can live for any length of time, I think that is something we'd all like to avoid.

"Additionally, I would like you to consider what would happen if the Volturi do get involved and come here. Not only does that place your brother and Bella in considerable danger, but we will be unable to pretend as though we were ignorant of the situation that brought them here. They have ways of finding out what we knew and what choices we made. They will know that we could have acted but did not." He turned a little and spoke to us as a whole.

"Traditionally the brothers are our friends, but should they decide that we've been negligent or committed a crime, their justice will be swift and without appeal." He paused and shook his head. "I cannot abide losing any one of you. As the head of this family, I will do what I must to prevent that from happening."

"I agree," whispered Esme.

Alice took her place at Jasper's side and wrapped an arm around his waist. As an afterthought, she slipped her hand into mine and squeezed once. Sensing his wife's resolve, Jasper stood stoically to his full height and forced himself to go against his gut instinct.

"We're in. I agree."

Emmett nodded in silent approval and tightened his arms around his wife, predicting she would protest his next move.

"We're in too. What do you need us to do?"

~(~)~

An hour later, Jasper and Alice were on their way to scout the area around Olympia for Victoria's camp. We were all confident that with his knowledge of newborns and her visions, they would be able to get in and out without being detected or leaving a trail that could be followed. Esme had gone along with them just in case something unexpected happened. It was a testament to my mother that, out of all of us, Jasper had chosen her specifically to go with them due to her ability to remain calm and yet be fiercely loyal and protective.

Originally, it had been my idea to do some reconnaissance to determine just what we were dealing with, but Alice had seen that my involvement in such a task would not have a very positive outcome. In fact, she'd specifically forbidden me from getting anywhere near Victoria or her progeny this weekend.

Instead, I was meant to go instead with Emmett and Carlisle to meet with the wolves. While I was glad for the opportunity to pick through their brains for any information regarding Bella, I realized that informing them of the new threat they faced could set off a chain of events that Alice would not be able to predict. Not surprisingly, the mere idea of a battle brewing so close to Forks threatened to send me over the edge.

"Dude, would you calm down. You're going to give yourself an aneurism or something."

I continued pacing the length of the garage and ignored Emmett.

I could see Alice's point. Part of me had already wanted to end Victoria for ever having gone near Bella to begin with. The fact that the vengeful harpy was now engaging in such reckless, inhumane, and malevolent behavior only made me want to find her immediately and rip her head off. Unfortunately, Alice hadn't seen it being quite that easy for me despite my speed and extra-sensory abilities. Somehow, she'd seen Victoria getting away and re-doubling her efforts on a larger scale.

For that reason, Carlisle had forbid any of us from engaging Victoria unless it was in self-defense. Do not fire unless fired upon, so to speak. I could see why he'd decided such a thing.

Victoria hadn't actually done anything to warrant our interference just yet. We couldn't justify killing her because she was a _potential_ threat to Seattle area residents, the Quileute people, or even because she was a possible threat to Bella. If I were to start eliminating people in a position to harm the reason for my existence, then I would have to murder half of the population of Seattle and a few individuals in Forks as well.

"Dude! Seriously, can you stop? We're leaving in like five minutes."

Carlisle was still on the phone with Sam Uley, but Sam was not to be easily convinced that we really needed a face to face meeting. I could hear the tale-end of the conversation from here.

"Yes, of course. I can only imagine... I do sympathize, Sam. Yes... I know you might find it difficult to believe but I have my own family to think of. Like you, my wife is my whole world and my children... Well, they may not be my flesh and blood, but they are my children nonetheless. Surely you can understand that we have that in common?"

I heard him take a deep breath and Sam's less than understanding response in Carlisle's mind.

_ That's just my point. They're not flesh and blood at all, so you'll have to forgive me if I don't agree._

"I'm sorry you feel that way. We're willing to risk ourselves to help your people, Sam. Surely that earns us a modicum of trust in the matter."

_ Perhaps. But I really don't see what the risk is to you. What do any of you have to lose in this situation? _

Sam's words disappointed Carlisle and hit me like an Emmett sized blow to the gut. We could lose everything. _I _could lose the only thing that's ever been important to me.

"We stand to lose our entire way of life, son. There are forces at work greater than you or I."

_Like what? _

"Sam, you need to understand that I'm trying to help you. To stand by my word to help you and renew the faith your forefathers had in us. Unfortunately, the situation is far more serious than I first realized and it would be in both of our best interests to discuss it face to face."

_Fine. We can be there in a few hours. _

"We'll meet you halfway. As we agreed to a boundary along the Hood Canal, we could meet you just across from Mount Walker on the other side of Quilcene Bay. It should be isolated enough there."

_You'll stay on your side of the Canal?_

"Of course."

_Very good. We can be there in an hour. _

"We'll see you then. Thank you."

Carlisle hung up and sighed. I could tell he was running his hand though his hair. It could have been amusing to think how much we acted alike at times, but I was in no mood to be amused.

"Edward? You're wearing a path in the finish of the floor. Can we try not to piss off Rose any more than she already is? Please?"

"Sorry," I mumbled, looking down. He was right, so I moved back outside. Carlisle was already on his way from the house.

"We're meeting them in an hour."

"I heard."

_Of course you did. _ Carlisle smiled.

I smiled and stopped in front of him. "I don't think they'll bring the whole pack, Carlisle," I said, answering one of his many unspoken concerns. "We've just informed them that they are at greater risk than they realized. I have a feeling they will want to maintain a presence in La Push."

"I agree. I still worry though."

_Unless we can persuade Rosalie to go with us, we will most certainly be outnumbered. _

"Hmm..."

_Perhaps you can speak with her. I don't think she'll listen to anyone else._

"And she would listen to me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Not that I hadn't considered going to talk Rosalie. She was trying very hard not to think about it, but it had become obvious in the last few minutes that she was more upset by the fact that I'd promised I was staying, and yet I'd spent every night with Bella in the last few weeks.

Of course, I ignored Rosalie most of the time anyway. Her thoughts had never been the most enjoyable place to be. But these days, I couldn't help paying closer attention to her mental ramblings whenever they had to do with Bella. I wasn't surprised by the level of jealousy coloring her thoughts, but I was slightly shocked to discover that it may have a lot less to do with vanity than I had initially believed.

I sighed. "I'll go."

_Thank you. _ Carlisle smiled and squeezed my shoulder as I passed him.

_Edward... If you say anything to hurt her feelings, I hope you know I'll have to kick your ass. _

I turned and shot an un-amused look at my brother.

_I'm just sayin', bro. She's my woman. I know you get that now. Don't you? _

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"Good," Emmett replied with a smile.

Just as I got to the front door of the house, my phone rang and I froze in place. I let out a long breath when I saw it was Bella's number.

"Bella?"

"Yeah. Hi," she answered quietly.

"Is everything alright? Are you okay?"

She laughed quietly into the phone and I heard the truck door creak open. "Yes, silly. I'm fine. I should have known you'd think something was wrong."

I smiled at her tone. She was okay. Everything was fine.

"May I ask to what do I owe this pleasure then?"

"Uh..." She took a quick breath. "Wow."

"Wow?" I asked, confused by her reply to my simple question.

"How do you that?"

"Do what?"

She giggled. "Dazzle me over the phone?"

I chuckled. "I'm sorry, love."

"Don't be. I thought I wouldn't get another fix until Monday night."

"A fix?" I laughed harder.

Bella giggled quietly. "Yeah. You're addicting you know."

I smiled and sighed. Was it possible she really felt the same way I did about her?

"So Monday night?" I asked, ignoring my foolish thoughts.

"Well, yeah... I mean, I won't get back until the afternoon and it's supposed to be sunny on Monday."

I smiled. "I'm sure I can manage something if you wanted me to be there when you get home."

"Yeah?"

"Of course."

"That would be great."

"Would you like me to take you to dinner? Bring you dinner? Or I could cook you dinner."

Bella laughed and I heard a gas pump click off in the background. "What is your obsession with feeding me?"

"I want to take care of you, Bella."

She sighed. "You don't need to take care of me, Edward."

"No, I don't. But I want to. Your happiness is my own."

"Well, shoot..."

"What?"

"There you go again, being all perfect."

I didn't know what to say to that.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," she answered. She was quiet for a moment and I heard her get back in her truck. "I've gotta go. I just stopped to get gas."

"If you'd taken the Volvo, you wouldn't have had to stop. And you would have had Bluetooth so that we could talk the entire time."

"Moot point. I thought we agreed on that."

I sighed and heard the truck start up. "We did."

"Well, I'm talking on the phone and driving now, so..."

"I'll let you go. Two hands on the wheel."

"Yes, _Dad_," she quipped sarcastically.

"I didn't mean for it to sound like that, just... Be safe."

"Always am."

"That's all I can ask," I smiled and then sighed. "You better go."

"Bye, Edward."

"Goodbye, my love."

I ended the call and stood in the doorway looking at the phone for a moment. What was it about this girl that could make me forget everything but her? I hadn't even thought about Victoria or the wolves the entire time I spoke to her.

Hearing my sister move around upstairs, it all came back to me along with the task I had ahead of me.

I knocked lightly on Rosalie and Emmett's door and waited.

_Go away, lover-boy. _

"Please, Rosalie. I'd like to talk to you."

"Why? Because Carlisle sent you up here?" She swung the door open. "Or because you need me to go face a bunch of ravenous werewolves that probably want to kill you because of your little girlfriend? Or maybe because you want to soothe your conscience about finding yet another way to abandon your family?"

I took a breath and ran my hand through my hair while looking into her mind. That was it. That was why she'd been stomping around like a toddler for weeks.

"Rosalie. I've not abandoned you. I'm here. I'm here every day-"

"Bullshit. You are with _her_ every day." She shook her head and tried her best to look bored and as though she really didn't care. "When you're not with her, you have to hunt every day because otherwise you'll kill her. Then when you are around, all you do is talk about her anyway. Your head is with Bella, even when your body is here."

"Rose..."

"Save it, Edward. I don't care anymore. It's not as if the entire family didn't sacrifice anything to put up with your moody, overreacting butt in the last five years. We gave up plenty. It's just all a little much to take in when you throw our sacrifice away as if it meant nothing to you. It's like we don't even exist anymore."

"That's not true," I said, looking at the floor. At least the last part wasn't true, and I'd never meant to make them suffer.

"Oh, really?" Rose shot back, knowing she'd found a sore spot. "Everyone around here misses you. You spend the most time with Esme and Alice, but only because they help indulge your fantasy life with this girl."

_Stupid, stinking, plain Jane, home wrecking human girl..._

I snapped my eyes up to see Rosalie staring me down.

"Alright, that's uncalled for, Rosalie! I understand that you don't approve, but I will not sit here and listen to your venomous thoughts about Bella all the time. It's not as if I chose for this to happen. In fact, I did everything I could to avoid it."

"Oh, did you?"

"Yes. I did. You have no idea what it's been like for me. You call me selfish, and I will admit that I am, but you don't see things very clearly yourself. Just try for a moment to imagine having to stay away from Emmett for the next five years. Or better yet, maybe you could take a moment to think about what it was like for you before you found him."

Her thoughts became unusually quiet. "It's not the same thing, Edward."

"Really? Do you know what I thought when you first brought him home, Rosalie?"

She shook her head, but looked away. For the first time, I saw some sense of regret in her thoughts. There was also a memory of a conversation with her husband about this very thing. She'd apparently been too stubborn to hear him out at the time.

I sighed and continued. "I was angry with you."

She looked up at me with sincere disbelief.

"I was. I thought you were impetuous and hypocritical, and I couldn't understand how you could possibly wish this life on another human being when you so adamantly hated it yourself. You were very angry in those days, Rose. I had to hear your self-hatred and your disdain for the rest of us all the time. You have no idea how completely shocked I was that you would beg Carlisle to _'save'_ someone in that way. I had never felt more bitterness towards you than I did at that moment."

"I didn't know that."

"I know you didn't. I kept my feelings to myself. Everything changed when Emmett opened his eyes and saw you for the first time in his new life. He already thought you were an angel but the moment he really looked at you, he knew that he'd found his salvation; his purpose in life. Then he took to it all so much better than you or I did, and I remember thinking that I couldn't begrudge you your happiness anymore. It was the first time since I'd known you that you were actually happy."

Rosalie swallowed hard.

"So, no, I didn't bring Bella home on death's door. I tried to stay away from her and I made all of us miserable in the process, and I'm sorry for that. But... she's _my _salvation, Rosalie. She's given me a reason for existing. As my sister, please don't begrudge me this. I'll only have her for a few decades at the most. You'll have Emmett forever."

Her gasp was the first indication that she'd even continued listening to me. Her thoughts had been focused elsewhere for the most part.

"You're really not going to change her, then?"

"No. I will not take her soul."

"But if she gets sick, or there's an accident?"

"You and I still have that one thing in common. This isn't a life I would have chosen for myself. I would never sentence Bella to such a fate."

Rosalie took a deep breath and stood a little taller.

"And if you lose control? Or she begs you to do it?"

"No and no."

"Are you sure you can do that, Edward? What happens when she does die?"

I looked away, the pain overwhelming enough to make me grip the wall for support. Rosalie's thoughts had been especially visual when she asked her question.

"I'll find a way to cope."

"Alright then."

"What?" I asked, looking into her eyes.

"I'll stop busting your chops about it, Edward. But so help me, if you kill her or the Volturi find out about her and come here, I'll end you myself."

I laughed. "Are you serious? That's it? After weeks, no _years _of animosity you're just going to be okay with Bella being in our lives?"

"No, I'm not." She arched an eyebrow. "I'm really not okay with it as long as she's human. But as long as you intend to keep her human, and she's able to keep our secret, then I'll find a way to cope."

_I can be unhappy now, you can be unhappy later. We'll trade off._ She smirked.

I shook my head at her. "Not funny."

_No, it's not. _"But it's what you've chosen." She put her hands on her hips and looked at me. "You've really made a mess of things falling for a human, you know that?"

"Yes, I am aware," I admitted. She wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know.

She sighed and stepped around me.

"Come on."_ We have to go deal with some wolves so we can try and keep your human around a little longer. _

Stunned, I just watched as she walked down the stairs with a swagger in her step.

"Thank you, Rosalie," I whispered.

I stood still a moment longer absorbing the strained peace I'd just made with my sister before I ran down the stairs to catch up. We made it three steps past the porch before it became a race. Rosalie knew she'd never beat me, but it could never stop her from trying.

~(~)~

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_**End Notes:**_

_It was a shorter one, I know. Next up, Forks..._

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_PS-_ Last week I forgot to acknowledge everybody who helped get that chapter out to you! Forgive the fail, but that means double thanks this week to **Katmom, farawaymomo, **and **JillianLanders**. A special thanks goes out to all my reviewers and folks who sent nudges my way. Also hugs to **maiseypattinson** for leaving the review that tipped me in the direction I needed to go on the last chapter. ;-)

This week mucho thanks go out to all the usual suspects with a special thanks to my **HH sisters**; you know who you are! Much love and Hugs! Ginnie

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_PPS- _Remember to go vote for your favorite in The Scene Stealers Contest between now and Nov. 15th! www. fanfiction. net./u /2528727/** Scene**_**Stealers**_**Contest **_[just remove the spaces]_**  
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Also, Fandom for Preemies if taking donations until Dec. 1st and in exchange for your gift you will recieve a compilation of over 100 stories delieved right to your email. Kindle users, it's a PDF file so you can take it with you! ;-) www. fandomforpreemies. blogspot. com _ [again, just remove the spaces]_


	19. Chapter 18: Decisions Part 2

**Author's Note:**

_Yeah! Another on time update! :-) _

_As usual, thanks go to **Katmom** for beta'ing and **farawaymomo** for pre-reading. I also want to thank the awesome readers who review every single chapter! I adore you and cannot thank you enough! I also apologize for not replying to each and every review I get. I cherish them, so I really should. However, when it comes to writing the story or writing review replies... I choose the story. Sorry, folks... Edward and Bella own me. ;-) _

_Now... on to Forks!_

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**Chapter 18:**

"**Decisions Part 2"**

"You're such a coward," I said to nobody.

I should have told him. I called Edward for the sole purpose of telling him and then I went and chickened-out. I was a total coward.

"Overly-perfect intimidating vampire," I muttered under my breath. I forgot to mention the _'dazzling' _part. How he managed to do that with just the tone of his voice was beyond me.

I was almost an hour away from Forks but I wasn't any closer to figuring out a way around the mess I currently found myself in. I should have just been honest with Charlie when he first called this morning, but I'd been in no mood to argue with him at the time. I'd barely made it off the ferry when my phone rang.

After just a few words I knew I was in a predicament. When Charlie told me his plans, I knew immediately that it would give poor Edward a heart attack. Well... if he could have had one. He worried about me so much that it was probably a good thing he wasn't human. A fact which only made me feel worse—the worrying part, not the human part.

Despite that, I let myself get roped into having dinner in La Push. Dinner _tonight_ in La Push.

_Now what?_ I wondered for about the millionth time.

As much as I hated to admit it, Edward had a point about the situation there. La Push wasn't my favorite place to go these days either and I cringed whenever Charlie spent too much time there. I couldn't help but fear for him. I often wondered when the illusion of peace would be shattered yet again by a surprise visit from a vengeful vampire. Would it be this weekend?

That would be just my luck.

I rolled my eyes. I should have known that Sue would want to cook something for my mini-homecoming; I just hadn't considered that she might want to do it on her own turf. It made sense, but I knew she would have been hearing whispers from the pack these last few weeks. It was part of the reason I was nervous about visiting my dad to begin with.

True, reason number one was that I was hopelessly addicted to Edward; his smell, his taste, even his cool touch. Then there was that damn smile and his slightly tortured soul. He tried to hide the conflict, but every once in a while I could see it—the struggle against what I assumed were his instincts and the fear of hurting me. And just as I could see things in Edward which were not meant for me to see, I knew that the short conversation I'd had with Sam on the night they discovered the Cullens were back wouldn't be the last of it. Not by a long shot. Then there was the not so small matter of dealing with Jacob when and if he found out how much time Edward and I spent together.

I sighed and turned the windshield wipers on. Big surprise; it had started raining the moment I left Port Angeles. The closer I got to Forks, the faster it seemed to come down.

I rolled my eyes when my phone rang again just as the rain started to come down in sheets. I would have ignored it had it not been for the ringtone telling me who it was. _Sweet Caroline_ drifted up from where my phone sat in my lap. Crap...

I'd promised Jess we would talk once a week and I definitely hadn't kept up my end of things. Her last email told me that little Caroline was missing home quite a bit, even if she did like her new room and getting to build sand-castles on the beach, which was practically in their backyard.

"Hey, Jess," I answered, trying to be careful on the road while flipping the phone open.

"Bella Swan. Where have you been?"

"I've been busy. How are you? How's Caroline?" I asked, ignoring her question.

"She misses you. Why haven't you called? I thought that we'd hear from you all the time with you being all alone in that old apartment now."

I sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. Is she there?"

Jessica answered my sigh with one of her own. "Yes. Talk to her, but then I wanna know what's going on with you."

"Alright. Put her on."

I waited a moment and found a small road to pull off of the highway for a few minutes. It turned out to be some kind of industrial lot, which this early on a Saturday was conveniently empty. I rolled to a stop and put the truck in park.

"Here she is, just start talking. You know how she is on the phone," Jessica laughed. I heard the phone shuffle and assumed Jess had put it up to Caroline's ear by now.

"Hey Care Bear, it's Bella. How are you?"

"Bewwa!"

"Hi," I laughed. "What are you doing, kiddo?"

"Watchin' Wittle Ein-tines. I spilled my ce-we-al," she added without missing a beat.

I laughed. "You did? Did you help Mommy clean it up?"

"No. Bucky ate it all gone."

"He did? I guess it's kind of nice having a dog now, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh. Mommy lets him eat everything. But Nick says that's a no-no."

"Oh really?" I laughed again. She was so stinkin' cute sometimes.

"Uh-huh. When are you coming to see me, Bewwa?"

I sighed. "Soon, kiddo. A few more weeks. Ask Mommy to show you on the calendar, okay?"

"Okay. I love you, Bewwa."

"I love you too, Care Bear."

"Mommy wants to talk now. Bye-bye."

"Bye, baby. Big hugs, okay?" I said, a stupid lump forming in my throat. I couldn't believe how attached to that little girl I'd become.

"Big hugs," she parroted. "Bye!"

"Bye," I whispered.

Jessica came back on the line and I heard her address Caroline before she turned her attention back to me. The weight of my emotions during the course of this whole morning started pressing on me. Talking to Caroline was about to push me over the edge and I wasn't sure I had anything left in me to handle the La Push situation, let alone a round of _20 Questions_ with Jessica.

"So... spill," Jessica said with a tone I knew well. "What's going on that you haven't called us once in the last two weeks?"

"Nothing, Jess. I just have a lot going on right now."

"Uh-huh... then why do you sound like you're about to start crying. You don't cry, Bella."

I huffed and closed my eyes. "It's just raining and I'm tired."

"What does the rain have to do with anything?"

"I don't know... I'm driving to Forks and the roads are crappy. I'm stressed."

"Oo-kay, but that still doesn't explain where you've been lately. I called twice last week and your phone went straight to voicemail."

"I probably forgot to turn it back on after work."

"Just forgot? Or you're doing that lonely, introverted thing?"

"I'm fine, Jess. I'm not lonely."

"Uh-huh..." she said, disbelieving. "Fine, Bella. Don't talk to me. It's not like I'm your best friend or anything." The bitchy tone I'd come to know so well over the years made an appearance and I relaxed a little.

"Look, I'll tell you more about it later, but I'm driving to Charlie's right now. Really, I'm..." I took a breath. "Fine..."

"Bella? Did you just sigh?" Jessica asked as incredulous as I felt.

"What? No."

"Yes, you did. You totally just sighed a big dreamy sigh."

"I did not," I sighed, clapping my hand over my mouth because I did it again.

"Uh... you did it again. What's going on?"

"Jess..." I complained. "I don't want to talk about it right now. I've got to get to my dad's."

Jessica was quiet a moment and then suddenly spoke up. "Oh my God! Did you get back together with Jacob?"

"No! Not even close," I said, chuckling once at the irony.

"Then what the heck is going on? Start talking!" she squealed.

I pulled the phone away from my ear and frowned. Did I want to talk about this? More accurately, did I want to talk about it with Jessica Stanley? I took a deep breath. Maybe Jessica could actually be helpful in this instance. I'd just be general about everything.

"Okay... if I tell you something, do you promise not to freak out and just offer me some advice?"

"Eeeeeeee! Yes! Yes! Yes!" Once again I had to pull the phone away and I was already regretting my decision.

"Calm down, Jess, or I'm hanging up."

"Fine, party pooper. I'm calm," she said, though she obviously wasn't.

I took another deep breath. "Okay. I've been seeing someone and-"

"I knew it! Oh my God, tell me everything!"

"No, thanks," I said and rolled my eyes at her antics. I could practically hear her jumping up and down. She was so much like Renee sometimes it was frightening. "Anyway, as I was saying, we've been hanging out a lot. So that's why I haven't called."

"That's it? That's all you're gonna give me?"

I sighed and rubbed my forehead with my free hand. "Yes. That's it. We just had our first official date last night, so there's really nothing to tell except the typical, 'He's wonderful and perfect and I like him a lot'. Try not to get too excited."

"Okay, wow. You _must_ like him a lot. That's more than you've ever told me about a boy before, even Jacob."

"I don't do girl talk."

"Don't I know it... but I'm not complaining. I'll take what I can get!" she answered happily. "Oh! Are you bringing him to the wedding?" she asked suddenly.

"Oh, gosh. I hadn't even really thought of that as an option."

"Well, it is. If you guys are ready for the whole traveling together thing by then, bring him okay?"

"I don't know... I think I better wait and get through graduation first. You know, meeting my parents and stuff?" And there was the whole non-aging, vampire-who-can't-go-out-in-the-sun thing to worry about.

Jessica giggled. "He's meeting your parents already? You _have _got it bad."

"Shut up." I rolled my eyes and giggled. Damn her, she was rubbing off on me.

"So... can I get just one little detail from you? Please?"

I sighed and thought about it for a moment. "I guess. What do you want to know?"

"Did you guys... _you know_?"

My eyes bulged out of my head and my face flamed red even though I was alone in the truck. "Jessica!"

She giggled. "Well? Did you?"

"No! Jeez..."

"Well, you need to get on that girlie, or you're going to be your own Steve Carell movie!"

"Wow, thanks Jess. I really appreciate the encouragement," I said bitterly. My face felt like it was a million degrees and I was really glad I'd pulled over to have this conversation.

"Oh, come on, Bella. I was just kidding. I mean, I worry about you but I know you'll find the guy you want to be with like that someday."

The air in my lungs sort of whooshed out and I was talking before I realized what I was saying. "Yeah, well, I think I already found him."

The silence on the other end was more disconcerting than the squealing that I would have expected.

"Jess?"

"You're serious, aren't you?" she asked quietly.

"I..."

"Do you love him?" she interrupted.

I smiled. I guess it _would_ be nice to tell somebody.

"Yeah. I do."

Ten more minutes of shrieking, and several hundred deflected requests for more details, I managed to end my call with Jessica and get back on the road. I had a smile on my face that lasted for a few miles, but the closer I got to the turn off to La Push, the more my mood seemed to slip.

By the time I passed La Push Road and continued towards Forks, I was fighting off a wave of nausea. It was accompanied by the now familiar feeling of regret associated with the place that had once been my refuge. At one time it had been a safe place for me, a place where I felt loved, and accepted, and carefree. Now it reminded me of heartache, and loss, and monsters I would never be strong enough to fight off. I couldn't help the sense of dread that filled me when I considered that one of those monsters was still out there, waiting for her chance to make the pack pay for losing her mate.

Could I really just go down there and have dinner like I didn't know? Maybe a month ago I could have, but something about Edward's insight into the situation had made me realize that things were more serious than I'd previously realized.

What would I tell Charlie? And better yet, how would I convince him to stay closer to home from now on? I doubted I could.

I was suddenly infinitely more thankful that the Cullens returned to Washington when they did. I would never understand how it happened with Alice's visions and the situation with Edward's car, but I was grateful to God or fate that it went that way. I was certain that with their help, La Push and my father would be safe again someday soon. Breathing easier, I kept my thoughts focused in that direction until my tires hit the gravel of Charlie's drive.

Before I made it up the front steps, I was wrapped in warm arms and a familiar masculine scent. Charlie's moustache tickled my cheek as it brushed by when he pulled back. Never one for excessive shows of emotion, his hugs were always unexpected but never unappreciated.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hey, kiddo."

"You alright? You look a little pale."

I quirked an eyebrow. I always looked pale.

Charlie chuckled quietly. "You know what I mean, you look a little off."

I smiled weakly. Truthfully, I wasn't feeling so great, but only because I'd worked myself up on the way here.

"I'm okay." I shrugged. "Long drive."

"The truck give you any trouble?" he asked frowning.

I shook my head. "No. It was fine. The rain was coming down pretty hard for a while."

Charlie nodded. "Well, come in." He took my backpack and computer bag, with Edward's laptop inside, and followed behind me.

I walked into the little house and took a deep breath. It smelled the same, a slight comfort. There were subtle changes here and there. Sue's influence if I had to guess. It was also a good deal cleaner than even I kept it when I lived here.

Charlie's gruff voice interrupted my inspection of the kitchen. "Did you eat before you left?"

I laughed once, remembering Edward's demand that I have breakfast.

"Yeah, I'm good for now. Unless you're ready for lunch."

"I thought maybe we could go to the diner so you won't have to make anything. Or there's this little sandwich shop that opened up..."

"Actually, Dad? Maybe we could just stay in? I don't really feel like going anywhere right now."

I was being entirely honest, but I was also planning to take full advantage of Charlie's initial observation that I wasn't feeling well. It appeared he was already worried about me. I just had to play it up a bit.

I knew I'd succeeded when he furrowed his brow a little. "You sure you're okay?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I just need a nap or something."

Charlie's eyes widened a bit and he moved forward to feel my forehead. I gave him a look and complained like a twenty-something who was being babied by her father should.

"Dad..."

"Oh, relax..." he said backing up with his palms up in surrender. "Just checkin'."

""Thanks," I said shaking my head and offering him a slightly amused smile. "I'm going to go upstairs for a little bit."

He hummed and nodded. "You want me to make you a sandwich?" he asked before I got too far.

"I can do it if you can wait a few minutes."

"Nah, I'll do it. You go rest. Just tell me if you need anything, okay?"

I smiled. "I will, Dad."

He patted my shoulder and I trudged up the stairs to my room feeling guilty for making him think I was getting sick.

A few minutes later, after I'd changed into some old sweats and a thick pair of socks, I got the laptop out of my bag and set it on the desk. Homework was my other tactic for getting out of dinner tonight. Once again I was surprised by my own cowardice.

_Just tell him you're not comfortable in La Push anymore_, I thought to myself. Charlie would assume it had something to do with Jacob and that would likely be the end of it.

My dad had never quite trusted Jacob completely after the day that I got "hurt" on First Beach almost three years ago. Charlie loved him like a son, but after Jake brought me home with a broken collar bone and several cuts that had required stitches, there was a small amount of distrust there that couldn't be erased. Apparently, the official story that I'd fallen off of some large rocks near the tide pools just wasn't convincing enough.

Once my props were all in place and I took a quick bathroom break, I went back to my room to send a quick text to Edward.

_I'm in Forks. The truck was fine. :P  
What are you up to? –B_

It wasn't long until my phone chirped back at me. I smiled and crawled over the bed to grab it off the desk where I'd left it.

_Hello, Beautiful.  
So glad you're there safe.  
I'm spending the day with my brothers.  
You? _

I sighed and looked out the window. I prayed that I wasn't about to lie to him.

_I'm doing nothing of consequence.  
Just spending time with Charlie.  
I guess better get to it...  
Have fun. Tell Emmett I say "Hi". :) _

I was two steps down the stairs when I heard my phone again. I ran back up to my room quickly and opened the small device.

_I love you my Bella.  
Be safe._

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Those seven words flooded me with a new wave of guilt. I went back downstairs a little sullen with my phone clutched tightly in my hand.

Charlie was in the kitchen attempting to slice a tomato when I walked in. He glanced over his shoulder at me and smiled sheepishly. "I thought you were going to rest."

"I can do that down here, can't I?"

"I guess so."

"Are you sure you don't want anything?"

"Not right now, my stomach is a little uneasy," I answered and sat at the table to watch him slice the soft fruit into uneven slices. I also noticed that he'd also washed some lettuce and placed a few pieces on a paper towel.

"Sandwiches?" I guessed.

"Yeah. I didn't know what kind you'd want so I thought I'd get everything ready for when you felt like eating. I bought turkey, ham and roast beef. I also have cheese."

"Thanks, Dad. You didn't have to do that. Do you even eat tomato on your sandwich?"

He chuckled. "Not usually. Unless Sue is making them. She doesn't give me the option."

I smiled. "How is she?" I asked nervously. I wasn't sure if I should just come out and say what I needed to or make small talk first.

Charlie finished his task and dropped the knife into the sink. "She's good. Everything's back to normal now. The cuts and scrapes are all healed and she hasn't needed any physical therapy for her shoulder. That was the spot that gave her the most pain after the accident."

I nodded. Sue's car accident had scared the living daylights out of my dad. He seemed so calm now and sounded... proud, maybe?

"That's great, Dad."

"Yeah, she's a tough cookie," he agreed.

Yep, he was proud of her. Even though his back was to me as he pulled some cold cuts out of the fridge, I knew that he was smiling.

"She's looking forward to seeing you tonight," he added.

"Uh, yeah. About that..." I started. "Um, I was wondering... Do you think she'd be totally opposed to coming up here tonight for dinner? You know, instead of us going down there to La Push."

Charlie closed the refrigerator and turned around.

"You don't want to go to Sue's?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

I sighed. "It's not that. I just... I don't really feel like going out tonight."

He frowned. "She's really looking forward to having you over, Bella."

"I know, Dad. I'm sorry." I shifted in my seat and tried to look like I had a headache or something. It wasn't too far a stretch as I was going to give myself a migraine if I worried about this anymore.

"Bells..." he moaned, and when I looked up I saw that he was rubbing his forehead. He let out a loud breath, looked back at me and shrugged. "Well, if you don't feel good?"

"I really don't." And I wasn't lying... exactly.

Charlie nodded and went back to making his sandwich. "Okay, I'll talk to Sue. I'm sure we can work something out."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Uh- huh. Do you want anything to eat then?"

I sighed and stood up. "I think I'll just make some toast. I can do it."

"You sure?" he asked, eyeing me as he finished his own culinary creation.

"Yeah."

"Okay, kiddo. I'll be in the living room, but I'm gonna call Sue first." He kissed the top of my head and walked away. A few moments later I heard him go outside, presumably to make his phone call.

I threw some bread in the toaster and started cleaning up the cold cuts when Charlie came back inside.

"Well, good news. Sue says she can bring everything over here. I called Billy too and asked him if he wanted to come up tonight. Hope that's okay, but he's been asking after you and there's a game on."

I dropped the cold cuts back onto the counter. "Billy?" I asked without turning around.

"Yeah. That's okay isn't it?" Charlie asked.

"Um, yeah. It's just Billy though, right?"

Charlie cleared his throat. "Well, Jacob is going to drive him up, but I don't think he's planning on staying unless you want him to."

"No," I practically shouted. I turned around and tried to cover up my rather unreasonable response. _Stupid secret werewolves and vampires. Now I was acting like a lunatic in front of my father..._

Charlie was watching me and made a face. "Bella... I know you two broke up, but he's still Jacob right? I mean, unless there's anything you want to tell me."

I shook my head. "No, there's nothing to tell. I know nobody likes how things are between us now, but this is the way it has to be. Every time we see each other we just end up hurting each other again."

"He's still in love with you," Charlie stated, looking thoughtful.

I didn't answer him. We both knew it was probably the truth.

Charlie looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. "You don't feel the same way."

I took a deep breath. "There's a part of me that will always love Jacob, but... he's my past, not my future."

Charlie nodded and I dropped my eyes going back to cleaning up the lunch stuff. Once it was all put away and the dishes were in the drying rack, I went in the living room to tell him I'd be upstairs.

I had every intention of getting to work on some things for school, but the rain picked up and it got darker outside, adding to the mental and emotional fatigue of the morning. What felt like minutes later, I woke with a start on my bed. Someone had laid a blanket over me and the small bedside lamp had been flipped on. I stretched a little and became aware that there were voices coming from outside.

"Yeah, she's here. She's upstairs resting."

"She's okay though?" a deep voice asked. I sucked in a breath and sat up.

"Yeah, she's feeling a little under the weather, but otherwise fine. I'll tell her you said hello, okay?"

"Maybe I could just say 'Hi' real quick?"

"She's sleeping, Jake. But I'll tell her you were here," Charlie answered immediately. I got up and crept towards the window.

"Uh, sure. Just... tell her I'd like to talk to her sometime. Would you? It's important," Jake said. I heard Billy start coughing loudly and deliberately.

I was close enough to the glass now to see the tops of two heads, but as soon as I figured out who was who I had to jump back. Jacob's head tilted up to look through the window and my hasty attempt to avoid being seen caused me to catch my foot against a loose floorboard and fall back onto the bed in a heap.

"Interesting dreams?" a warm voice called from the open door. I looked over to find Sue Clearwater smiling back at me.

"Oh," I croaked out. "Hi."

She held out a bottle of water and I motioned for her to come in.

"Your dad said you weren't feeling well. Everything, okay?" she asked, handing me the water and then lifting a hand just like Charlie had earlier to feel my forehead.

I chuckled. "You too?"

She smiled. "I was just making sure. You know how sensitive we are to fevers in La Push." She quirked an eyebrow at me and my smile fell.

"Relax, Bella. I'm just kidding."

I wrinkled my brow but didn't say anything.

"You've had some excitement these last few weeks from the way I've heard it told." Sue sat next to me on the bed and turned a little to face me. "Are you _really_ okay?" she asked sounding genuinely concerned.

I smiled and nodded. "I am."

I took another sip of water but felt her watching me. "Bella, may I ask you something?"

"Okay..." I started to answer, feeling a slight sense of dread.

"Hey, Sue?" Charlie called from the stairs. His whisper-yell only preceded the sound of his boots by a few seconds. I let out a little breath and tried to calm my racing heart.

"Oh hey, you're awake," he said when he got to my door. "Feel any better?"

I nodded and started to get up. "Yeah, thanks."

Charlie looked between me and Sue with a small smile. "Billy's here. You ready to eat?"

"Sounds good. I'll meet you downstairs in a minute, okay?" I motioned towards the bathroom.

Charlie just nodded and turned to go back to the stairs, he waited for Sue and she walked out of my room with a look back at me that said "later."

After brushing my teeth and calming my heart, I returned to my room to check my phone for messages or missed calls and then changed back into my jeans before going downstairs.

Dinner was good and relatively uneventful. I felt an underlying note of tension and even the occasional side-long glance from Billy or Sue, but they were polite and all smiles in front of Charlie. Sue surprised me by taking my dad's hand at one point while the men argued over sports teams and statistics.

Before long Charlie pushed Billy into the living room and the television took center stage. There was the occasional shout heard coming from the room and lots of laughter. I helped Sue clean up in the kitchen even though she told me I didn't have to, but I didn't mind. It felt familiar and comforting to be standing at this sink, in this kitchen.

Once Sue left for the night, taking Billy with her when she went, Charlie and I sat in front of the television talking for a little longer about my job and how I was doing in my classes.

"Any more thoughts on grad school?"

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Not really, I'm still deciding between Northwestern and Indiana if I decide to go out of state."

"Hmm... And if you stay?" Charlie asked, his tone carefully neutral.

"I guess I'll do the online program at U Dub." I shrugged. I wished I had more answers for him, but I wasn't much more set on a career path now than I was when I left Forks to start my degree.

Charlie nodded and turned back to the television as he took a swig of beer. "You like it in Seattle well enough to stay there?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's more like I have a pretty good job and I qualify for benefits now. At least I don't have to worry about not having an income or insurance when I graduate."

"You keeping the apartment?"

I shook my head. "No. Not once the lease is up."

"Where are you gonna go?"

"I haven't really decided yet. I guess that depends on what I do for grad school."

"Hmm..." Charlie hummed and nodded his head. He sat back in his chair and put his feet up.

We fell into a comfortable silence and stayed downstairs a little longer. I said good night as soon as he finished his beer and went upstairs to get ready for bed. Once I was laying there all alone, my thoughts drifted to Edward. I wondered what he was doing now and how he would pass the time tonight instead of watching me sleep. I'd already checked my phone for more messages but there were none. I was a little surprised by that and spent a good long time trying to decide whether or not I should call him or send another text.

My body finally gave in to slumber before I could make a decision and I woke up with the phone still clutched in my hand, the imprint of its casing on my cheek. Rolling over, I laid there staring at the ceiling for a few minutes just thinking about the dreams I'd had.

The first one was quite familiar. I'd had this dream multiple times, including the night that Jacob had first revealed the Quileute legends of the Cold Ones. I would be in the forest, green and damp and dark, then Jacob would be there telling me to run. Then he always fell to the ground and disappeared only to be replaced with a reddish-brown wolf. The wolf in my dreams now was much larger than the original wolf. It was much more accurate in coat length and color now that I'd seen the real thing in my waking hours. Edward however was all the same. I hadn't had this dream since his return, so it was disconcerting to see this version of him still white as a ghost with long fangs and dark, ominous eyes.

Of course, in my dream he would beckon me as always and I would go, no matter how frightening he was. I only ever made it two steps before Jacob would lunge at him, snarling and ferocious. Sometimes, I wouldn't startle awake when they crashed together. Sometimes, Edward changed into the blond-haired vampire with red eyes that had held me in his crushing grip on First Beach years ago. I would scream and Jacob's wolf form would leap over me and wrestle the vampire to the ground, ripping his head off. Quiet morbidly, the head always rolled by me and when I would look back again, it was Edward's face I would see staring up at me; beautiful, but lifeless. That was the dream that I'd had the night Edward first stayed with me.

I took an unsteady breath and tried to put the image out of my head. I was glad that I hadn't actually had that version of the dream last night, since I would have likely woken up screaming Edward's name. My second dream likely had me sighing his name, but I don't think it would have been enough to disturb my snoring father.

I was startled back to the present when the phone I'd slept with all night started ringing.

The familiar ringtone made me smile.

"Hey, Embry. What are you doing up so early?"

"Actually, I'm just getting in."

"Whoa. Wild night?"

Embry snorted a laugh. "You could say that. I was on patrol."

I sat up. "What? Why? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine for now. But we're expecting some company again soon, B."

I closed my eyes. "Is it her?"

"Yeah. Or so we're told. There was a meeting with your little boyfriend's coven yesterday. They gave Sam the head's up."

I bristled at the tone Embry used to describe Edward but then focused on the fact there had been another meeting. "What? When?"

"It doesn't matter. Look... I called to warn you."

"Warn _me_?" I swallowed.

"Not like that. You're well protected, believe me. I just needed to warn you about Jacob."

"What about Jacob?"

"You know how it works when we phase, right? Well, I was out running around last night with Jake in my head." Embry sighed loudly. "He knows, Bella."

I paled and felt my stomach drop. "How much?"

"Most everything I know. Which despite the fact that I haven't said much to you is actually quite a lot."

"Shit."

"Yeah. He's pissed, too. He kicked my ass all over Puget Sound last night because he thinks I should have done more to keep you away from the leech. Sam and Paul had to pull him off of me."

"Oh, God... Em, are you okay?"

"I got a few good snaps in," he chuckled. "We heal quick, you know that. Besides, I deserved it."

"What? How could you possibly deserve getting your ass kicked by your supposed best friend?" I asked, my voice rising.

"I'm an idiot, B. I never should have let you indulge in this game of yours. I thought it was just some sort of morbid curiosity, but it's obviously more than that."

"What? What are you saying?"

"It won't end well, Bells. The only reason I've tolerated this whole situation up to now is because we've always stuck together, you and me. I wanted to trust you and I thought maybe for once you could actually get your wish and do something to help the pack. I knew you would want to, but I was stupid to let you try and I can't allow you to endanger yourself anymore. I'm sorry."

"You won't _allow_ me? Embry, that isn't you talking..."

"Look, I've seen the way Cullen looks at you and it scares the hell out of me, okay? Not only that, but Jacob is pissed as hell at me and Sam's not much happier. I screwed up, with them and with you. I never should have let it get this far."

"Embry, you are not responsible for my choices. You never should have been put in the position of moving to Seattle to keep track of me anyway. If I didn't love you so much I would have gotten a restraining order against you a long time ago."

That earned a small chuckle from Embry.

"I'm sorry you got stuck in the middle again," I said, a small sigh escaping me.

"S'okay," Embry answered. "And I didn't move here just for you, you know? I'm like the first line of defense. Besides, I needed a job and what else was I gonna do with my oh so impressive GED?"

I laughed and then grew serious again.

"Em, I know you don't want to hear it... but you really should stay out of my life and avoid getting yourself in so much trouble. I'm not worth it." My voice was teasing even if my words were sincere. Embry's answer was immediate.

"And I know you don't want to hear this, but you really should stay as far away from Cullen as you can. Because you are worth it."

I sighed. "I have to go."

"Okay."

"Hey, do you know if Jacob was planning on coming here?"

"I don't know," Embry answered. "Sam had ordered him back to La Push and told him to sit tight."

"Okay, thanks," I said quietly.

"I'll talk to you later, B."

"Wait..." I said suddenly.

"What now?" he laughed and then yawned. I'd forgotten he'd been out all night.

"Did you see the Cullens? Yesterday? Were you there at the meeting?"

"Nah. I was at work already when it happened. Sam called me later, told me to meet up with them as soon as I could get away."

"Alright. Get some sleep. And thanks for the warning."

"You're welcome. I just hope I don't get my ass kicked again tonight."

"Me too."

"Thanks, B. Later."

"Later."

I hung up and flopped back into the bed feeling frustrated and sad and confused. I loved Edward with all my heart and, although I'd known that wouldn't go over so well with anyone of Quileute descent, up until yesterday we'd been in this perfect little bubble. At least I had.

My life suddenly made complete sense with Edward in it. Things that used to cause me heartache now made me smile. Things that used to make me think I was crazy, now made me wonder if my subconscious knew all along that I was meant for him.

I'd gone through periods of time in the past where I woke up in the morning from dreams that I didn't understand. Dreams like the second one I had last night that left me missing Edward. I would wake up wishing that he would have stayed in Forks, or at the very least there with me in my dreams, and then reality would seep in and remind me of the way things had been left between us, of how he'd treated me and run away without explanation. It was those moments that made me berate myself for being pathetic and obsessive. How could I possibly care for someone who had such contempt for me?

But I'd had it all wrong. I hadn't understood anything about his feelings for me. And even as I struggled to believe that Edward wasn't too good to be true, we were together and everything seemed to be falling into place.

Everything except for my ties to the past.

It left me wondering if I could have it all. Were my past and my future like oil and water? Or more aptly, were they like fire and ice? Could they not exist in tandem? Would one always consume or extinguish the other? I closed my eyes and did something I rarely, if ever, did in earnest; I prayed.

The rest of the day was a wash after Embry's phone call. I was a nervous wreck and it made me act completely paranoid. All morning I sat in the kitchen, just waiting for the sound of a car pulling up outside or for the phone to start ringing. I assumed that if Jacob was upset enough to brawl with his best friend, he was upset enough to show up here and tell me I was crazy to my face.

After breakfast and my second cup of coffee, I took some assigned reading with me and sat with Charlie in the living room. He smiled and seemed grateful for the company. I could tell he was a bit restless as he never stayed home on Sunday mornings. By this time most weeks, he'd be waist deep in one of his favorite fishing spots.

I was highlighting terms in my textbook when the phone finally did ring and I nearly jumped out of my skin. The highlighter flew off the page leaving an uneven mark across the page and Charlie eyed me curiously. I just smiled sheepishly and shrugged when he got up to answer the phone. Listening carefully when he answered it, I relaxed as soon as I realized that the call was work related.

"Hey, uh, Bells," Charlie said, walking back in the room a few minutes later. "I gotta go into the station for a few minutes. There's a case in Victoria that I've been asked to take a look at. They're sending some files over right now. It shouldn't take too long, an hour or two tops."

At the mention of Victoria, my book slipped from my lap. Charlie looked at me with concern and knelt down to grab it before I could get up.

"You okay, kiddo?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered, my voice too quiet. Truthfully, I was anything but fine. The word Victoria coming out of my father's mouth freaked me the hell out. I knew he was just talking about Victoria, British Columbia, but it was eerie nonetheless.

"Fine?" Charlie parroted. He seemed to lean back and give me the once over, a small frown on his face. He took a deep breath and blurted out the last thing I expected to hear from him.

"Your mother called this week."

"Who… Renee?" I rolled my eyes at myself. _Who else?_

"She wanted to know if I'd heard from you. Said you hadn't answered any of her emails or messages in a while."

I sighed and made a mental note to email or text her later. "I've been busy."

"She's worried about you," Charlie added.

"I know," I answered. "I'm fine."

"She said you'd say that," he smirked.

I laughed lightly. "Well, my laptop bit the dust, so I've had limited access to a computer."

Charlie seemed surprised by my words, his brow knitting together. "What was that I saw on your desk upstairs?"

"Oh..." I blushed and tried to think quickly. "A... um, friend... offered to let me borrow that one until I can get a new one of my own."

"Wow. Sounds like a pretty good friend, Bells."

"Yes, he is," I smiled and nodded casually.

Charlie's eyebrows elevated. "He?" he asked.

_Oops..._

"He, uh... your friend wouldn't happen to be a boyfriend, would he?" Charlie asked, most likely in response to my blushing cheeks.

_Crap. Crap. Crap_. "Uh..."

"You look like a cranberry, Bells," Charlie laughed. "I'm just teasing you."

I looked up and raised an eyebrow.

He smiled. "Okay, I'm sort of serious."

I smiled back at him and took a deep breath. "There is... someone."

"Someone?" Charlie repeated.

I shrugged.

"Does he treat you right?" my father said after a minute, his voice belaying his seriousness.

I nodded. "He does. He's very old fashioned. A perfect gentleman."

"Good." He stood and patted my shoulder. "I gotta get going. You alright here?"

"Yeah," I smiled.

Charlie nodded and made his way to the front door. He trudged out a minute later with a little wave as he closed it behind him. As soon as he was gone, I dropped my book and sprinted up the steps to my room and grabbed my phone.

Three hours later, when Charlie returned, I still hadn't talked to Edward. I called him once, but it went to voicemail and he still hadn't called back. I wondered if Alice had seen this and maybe already told him what I did. I little voice inside my head told me that she couldn't see me this weekend for whatever reason and discounted that as a possible explanation. As a last resort, I sent a simple text hoping it wouldn't send him into a panic. I knew he was nervous about something happening to me.

Charlie was too busy apologizing for taking too long at the station to notice if I was out of sorts when he got back to the house. He talked me into going to the diner for a late lunch which was actually a welcome distraction. At least until he told me not to eat too much because Sue had called earlier and was planning on coming over for dinner again tonight. I smiled and nodded, but silently wondered why she hadn't asked us back to La Push. It made me uneasy for some reason.

Later that evening, I realized my initial concern with Sue's visit must have been some sort of woman's intuition. Sue had been over for almost an hour and we were both in the kitchen once again. I had volunteered to cook, but Sue insisted on making Charlie's favorite dessert. Several minutes into her mixing and baking, she startled rifling through the cupboards and making a lot of noise in the process.

"Shoot!" she finally exclaimed and slammed the last cupboard door shut. It was a soft slam, but a slam all the same.

"What are you looking for?" I asked without looking up from what I was doing.

"Baking powder. I found the baking soda, but no baking powder."

"Maybe you should ask my dad, I find stuff in the weirdest places sometimes."

Sue smiled as I glanced over, but it was almost too enthusiastic. "That's true. I'll be right back."

A minute later she returned laughing lightly and I heard Charlie grumbling softly from the living room.

"He has no idea, Bella." She rifled through the cabinet it should have been in once more and turned around to face me. "I guess I'll have to ask him to go pick some up at the store."

My heart started beating a little faster as I realized what was about to happen. The whole thing unfolded in front of my eyes within seconds.

Charlie stomped in from the living room and grabbed his keys asking Sue if she was sure.

Sue apologized and told him she was certain, and she'd already cracked the eggs open after all so they couldn't let everything go to waste.

"What if I get the wrong stuff?" he asked gruffly.

"You won't," Sue said, reaching up to muss his hair. "I wrote it down." She handed him a yellow sticky note with some writing on it and kissed him on the cheek.

I was sure that my eyes bugged out of my head and I looked away quickly. That was out of character for both of them and if Charlie didn't see it, I sure did.

Sue was playing him. I turned quickly and offered to go myself, but Charlie shook his head and took the note from Sue.

"I'll go. You finish what you're doin'. I'll be back in a bit."

"We'll be here," Sue answered and I turned to smile at Charlie.

He narrowed his eyes at me and I almost laughed at the mischievous glint I saw there. That was, until I heard what he said next.

"Maybe while you two are alone, Sue can get some of the 4-1-1 on your new _someone_, eh Bells? She can give me all the details later."

I blushed and turned back to the cutting board in front of me, my heart pounding in my chest. Sue laughed when I did, but it was a forced sound.

"Charlie...you're awful. Get out of here and leave the poor girl alone."

He jingled the keys at her and turned towards the door. "Be good ladies," he called over his shoulder.

I held onto the countertop for dear life and waited until I heard my dad's cruiser pull away before I even glanced at Sue. When I did finally look up, she was staring at me intently.

Crossing her arms in front her chest she broke the silence with a sigh and unnervingly calm voice. "We don't have long, so I'll cut to the chase Bella. We need to talk."

~(~)~

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_Sorry for the cliffie, loves. ;-) Any guesses as to what Sue will say? _

_**Oh, and one last reminder- _

_If you have the time and are able, would you consider making a donation to **the March of Dimes** through **Fandom for Preemies** between now and November 30th, 2010? You can visit their blog at www. fandomforpreemies. blogspot. com for more information. Thank you!  
_


	20. Chapter 19: Choosing Sides

_**Disclaimer: **_**The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, May 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Author's Note: **_My apologies for the delay. Family life is a bit distracting at the moment. Thank you for waiting and for all the amazing reviews! Thanks as well to __**farawaymomo**__ and __**katmom **__for their help and encouragement, this chapter was by far and away the most I've struggled with this story. Perhaps it was real life cutting in on my fantasy life, but I hope the following update at least partially makes up for the long delay and lack of response to the last chapter. _

_Happy Reading! ~Ginnie_

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**Chapter 19: **

"**Choosing Sides"**

I stood against a railing, watching the water break against the hull of the ferry as it crossed Puget Sound. I tried my best to look normal, maybe even human, standing out here in the thick fog. From the thoughts of the few passengers who took notice of me, I wasn't failing completely. My hooded rain jacket and gloves were convincing enough props, despite being of no more use to me than the once hot cup of coffee I held in one hand. I decided that I would have to buy a fresh cup for Bella when we docked.

_Bella. _

My only conscious thoughts were of her. I should have been joyful, exuberant even, that these last few hellish days were finally over but I couldn't be. Instead, I was worried beyond measure and wishing that I could just swim the rest of the distance to Kingston. This antiquated vessel was far too slow. I needed to get to her now.

Something was wrong. Something had happened while she was away and I had absolutely no idea what. The only thing I did know was that Alice had seen Bella visibly distraught while boarding the ferry to return to Seattle. She had also seen that Bella was going to arrive first thing in the morning rather than this afternoon like she had originally planned. I quickly calculated that in order to be waiting at the ferry terminal right now, Bella must have left Forks before five o'clock this morning. What I couldn't figure out was _why_?

While the vessel trolled slowly towards where she was waiting, I obsessed over the myriad of possible reasons behind a change in Bella's itinerary. Each thought upset me more than the last. My only insight into Bella's time in Forks was the voicemail she left while I'd been out tracking the Victoria with my brothers yesterday.

It hadn't exactly been an easy task for us and unfortunately I had been forced to turn my phone off part of the day. We just couldn't afford to risk Victoria finding out that we were watching her. Not one of my family had a gift for tracking, and while we were fairly certain this vampire had no idea we were looking for her, she already seemed to have done a very good job of leaving little to no evidence behind to lead us to her. Almost too good of a job. In fact, every time we got close enough for me to begin distinguishing her thoughts, she disappeared.

Even Jasper, with all of his experience, was slightly stunned. Victoria was either extraordinarily lucky or she had an enhanced ability to evade being detected or captured. Which was the only explanation we could come up with for why the wolves had never been able to catch her. Or why Alice had been unable to see us getting our hands on her anytime soon.

In fact, the only thing that Alice could see was that Victoria would keep coming back.

By the time we returned home in the middle of the night, the entire family was wet, muddy and thoroughly frustrated. I was especially agitated, so much so that I almost considered breaking the treaty just to see Bella. I wanted nothing more than to hear her heartbeat, to feel her warmth and her softness against my skin. More than that, I needed to know that she was safe and secure.

I was grateful that at the very least she'd left me a message that afternoon and I could hear her sweet voice. It was a simple enough message and didn't seem to indicate anything was wrong at the time. I'd even started to call her back as soon as I got it, but was interrupted by an incoming call from Alice. After speaking with my sister, I had to go right back to dealing with the Victoria situation and figured that it had been too long since she called anyway. Sending a quick text first, I turned my phone back off and ran to catch up to Emmett and Jasper.

It didn't occur to me to worry until much later, at which point I drove Alice to near insanity by making half-hearted decisions motivated by my growing anxieties.

She'd seen me breaking the treaty without getting caught at least once, but there were dozens of other times where she'd seen my future disappear abruptly as soon as I made the decision to go to Forks or pull some other stunt. Carlisle made it his personal mission to keep me busy, but only four moves into our second game of chess, Alice had foreseen Bella's tearful return to Seattle.

By the time the ferry finally docked, I was practically beside myself with worry. It seemed like an interminable wait until boarding finally began and I heard the rumble her old truck approaching. I slipped onto the car deck without being seen and caught sight of her as soon as she pulled in. It was quite obvious that she'd been crying recently. Even now, her red, swollen eyes were filled with tears. Her normally cute little nose was bright pink and there were dark circles under her eyes as well.

I appeared at the driver's window before Bella could move an inch and knocked lightly on the glass, not wanting to startle her. I wasn't very successful in that endeavor as she jumped and brought her hands to her mouth to stifle her squeal.

"Oh!"

I smiled halfway and waved a hand. Bella's confusion became obvious and her brow knit together.

"Where... What are you doing here?" she whispered, her voice rough. The question frightened me and made me wonder if it meant that she didn't want me here.

Helpless one way or the other, all I could do was ask her, so I reached for the door handle.

"Should I have not come?" I asked, opening the door slowly.

Her gaze dropped to her lap and she shook her head. "No..." She took a breath. "No, I'm really glad you're here."

Her voice broke again over the words and for a brief second all I heard was "no". When my brain caught up with my ears a wave of relief washed over me.

"May I?" I asked indicating that I wanted to sit with her.

Bella nodded and removed her seatbelt before sliding to the passenger's side of the bench seat. I followed her in.

"Come here," I said, opening my arms to her when she glanced up at me looking embarrassed.

Fortunately, she eagerly leaned into my embrace. Though as soon as she did, her scent hit me full force and I winced at the burn. I was really glad that I'd left the door ajar for the moment. As I'd predicted, the two days we'd been apart had made the potency of her blood seem stronger once again –though it was nowhere near as devastating as it had been when we first met.

We sat quietly for a moment or two. I breathed deeply of Bella's scent, waiting for the flow of venom to subside. Bella took her own series of deep breaths in an attempt to calm her emotions.

"How did you know to find me here?" she finally asked.

I rubbed her back carefully. "Alice."

"Right," she murmured, fidgeting with her hands.

"Will you tell me what it is that has you so upset?"

She sighed. "I..." Her voice wavered and she shook her head, not finishing her thought.

I kissed the top of her head. "Please? Or at least tell me what to do."

Bella burrowed into my side a little more, her face pressing against my chest. "This is helping. Just being near you." She took a deep breath and I could feel her hot breath through my jacket and shirt. "The way you smell is working wonders, too."

I chuckled. "I did tell you why that is, didn't I?"

It felt like she smiled into my jacket. "Yes."

"And you still find it soothing, knowing its purpose is to aid me as a predator?"

"Yes," she mumbled.

I sighed. "You really are a bit odd, aren't you?"

"I told you that I was."

And she had. I smiled at the memory of one of our first evenings at her apartment. Once again, I pondered Bella's flawed instincts and shook my head.

"I suppose I shouldn't complain, considering that I benefit from your lack of self-preservation."

Bella giggled softly, a welcome sound. "How do you figure that?"

"Do you really have to ask?" I tightened my arms around her ever so slightly; I knew she would perceive it as a full strength hug. "Having the privilege of being near you, of being allowed to touch you without frightening you or making your skin crawl... it's the greatest gift I've ever been given. I don't think you have any concept of how much you mean to me, Bella Swan."

She sat up slowly to look at me with shining eyes. After she regarded me for a long moment, she raised one hand and brought it to rest against my cheek.

"I hope that's true," she whispered.

"It is. You are my life now, Bella."

Hot tears filled her liquid brown eyes as Bella threw her arms around my neck. She held on tightly, her breathing ragged and making me both anxious and a bit delirious from the force of her scent. It was horrifying how much I wanted to be able to respond to her with equal enthusiasm. The restraint it required to hold her gently was immense. Somehow, I managed and attempted to comfort her.

"What's wrong, love?"

She shook her head into my neck, but said nothing.

"Did something happen in Forks?"

Another shake of her head and a ragged breath were her only answer.

"Please, Bella. I'm going to go mad not knowing." I pulled her away from me a little and lifted her chin to meet her eyes. "Please?"

Her bottom lip trembled and her tears overflowed. "I'm a horrible person."

I clenched my teeth inaudibly. How could she possibly say that? And who made her think that?

"You and I both know that's not true, love. Why would you say such a thing?"

"Because it is true. I'm selfish and ungrateful, and... I'm a horrible friend and daughter."

Irrational amounts of anger coursed through me hearing her words. "Who told you that?"

"Nobody had to say it." Her hands fell from around my neck and into her lap where she examined them with feigned interest.

"Bella... I don't know what happened, but you are none of those things. Whoever implied otherwise is someone I would like very much to speak with."

Bella shook her head. "That's really sweet, but it won't change anything."

I looked closely at her beautiful pink face and tired eyes. The wrinkles at the edges were far more visible than normal, her lids were pale and purple, and she had dark shadows beneath them that rivaled mine.

"Look at you..." I said softly, lifting her face back up and stroking gently under her eyes. "Did you sleep at all?"

Bella smiled weakly and shrugged.

"Bella... what if you'd fallen asleep at the wheel?"

"It was fine. I had too much to think about to fall asleep."

"Please tell me?"

Bella gazed up at me and I could see her seriously considering what she wanted to say. A line formed in between her brows and she started to open her mouth, but then closed it and fell silent, dropping her gaze to the side.

She remained quiet for almost two minutes, during which time the captain announced that the ferry was ready for departure and then the requisite safety announcements were played over the intercom while I watched Bella staring straight ahead. The motion of the blasted commuter vessel finally shoving off seemed to be the thing that snapped my patience.

"Bella, please? I can't read your thoughts. I don't know what to do or how to help you."

She sighed and leaned her head against my shoulder. "There's nothingto do. It's done," she answered cryptically.

"Bella... I don't understand," I said, frustrated. The absolute nothingness coming from her mind, the complete lack of insight into the cause of her distress, was almost physically painful to me. Being forced to sit still and endure both her scent and her silence made me want to crawl out of my skin.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Bella whispered.

"But you won't tell me?"

"I..." She shook her head, a recurrent theme from the morning so far. "Not yet," she added and then moved her small arms to wrap them around my waist. She held on tightly, at least as tightly as she could manage, and leaned into my chest.

I had seen Rosalie like this with Emmett. I'd seen my brother holding his wife in this exact manner before. I knew from her thoughts what Rosalie needed when she was like that. She needed comfort and she needed time, but not distance. When Rose was like this, she needed Emmett's arms around her just to slow her thoughts down enough to make sense of them. I wondered idly if Bella might possibly need the same thing. I wouldn't let myself hope too hard that it was the same way that my sister needed her mate, but it was enough. It was enough to keep me silent and still while she pressed her heat into me but kept her thoughts to herself.

After a moment of acclimation to the physical closeness, I finally allowed myself to wrap my arms around Bella more fully. I struggled to know how to hold her with an appropriate amount of pressure. She felt so small and breakable in my arms.

Eventually, I felt Bella turn her head and place a kiss on my chest. Despite the layers of clothing, the skin there burned. The heat from her seemed to radiate through me as small puffs of warm air from her breath fell on that same spot on my sternum. It was quite overwhelming, but nothing compared to when she lifted her head and fleetingly kissed the bare skin of my neck. That was like an all-encompassing icy fire, tingling as it spread over me. I couldn't even make sense of it.

"Thank you," Bella's small, hoarse voice brought me back from some place inside my imagination that was overwrought with sensation and strange, somewhat frightening ideas. "Thank you for... this. For just being here."

I looked down at her and wondered if she had any idea how she affected me. "Always, my love."

I moved her then, both needing some separation and sensing that Bella was feeling stronger now. I sat her back on the bench next to me and tucked her into my side. Minutes passed and the ferry steamed along. I was starting to think that she was close to sleep when she finally spoke again.

"You shouldn't have had to see me like this. I'm so sorry."

I shook my head at her words. "Do you not understand my feelings for you at all? Where else would I be?"

"That's exactly why I'm apologizing."

I chuckled at what I could only imagine was going through her head. "You're impossible." I kissed the top of her head again. "But lovely... and good." I lifted her chin to look at her. "You are a genuinely good person, Bella. It was one of the first things I saw in you years ago. Your goodness. And your kindness. You're also generous, capable, selfless, and loyal."

Bella scoffed. "Loyalty is relative. I'm a turncoat as far as anyone else is concerned."

"I see." I took a moment to make sure she wasn't going to cry again. "And by anyone, I assume you mean your werewolf friends."

"Along with the rest of La Push."

Stroking the soft flesh of her cheek, I used my eyes to implore her to explain. "Please, tell me what happened."

She took a deep breath and I watched as her eyes dilated ever so slightly. "Okay."

I made note of the fact that we had docked and would be disembarking soon, but never took my eyes off of Bella. She blinked slowly and took an unsteady breath as I tried to persuade her to open up to me with my gaze alone.

"You're doing it again," she whispered, closing her eyes briefly. I knew what she meant and she was right.

Taking her hand, I interlaced our fingers. "Is it helping?"

She blinked again. "Helping me, or helping you?"

I smiled and kissed the back of the hand I held in mine. "Both... I hope."

"I guess it is then. Dazzle away."

I chuckled and she blushed. That small reminder of her blood flowing beneath the surface of her delicate skin reminded me that I needed to keep myself in check as she told me whatever it was she had to say. I couldn't afford to lose control of any kind around her, especially in such a small space.

"Perhaps it will be easier to talk once we're moving," I suggested now that we were moments from having to depart the ferry and head back to Seattle. "You should put your seatbelt on."

"Yeah, alright," Bella agreed quietly and fumbled around for the correct ends of the safety belt. It wasn't until we were off of the ferry and moving down the road that she said anything further.

"Can we go somewhere?"

I turned to look at her. "Where would you like to go?"

"I don't know. Just somewhere. Anywhere."

"Anywhere but your apartment?" I guessed.

"Something like that," she answered quietly.

"Do you believe they'll be waiting for you?"

"I don't know. I don't think so, but I'd rather not find out. I have school tomorrow and I just need a break."

I thought for a moment. "You do seem quite exhausted."

"Gee, thanks," she quipped.

"I'm sorry. That's not what I meant. I just meant that perhaps you would do with some rest today rather than going anywhere."

"What if I just rest on the way?"

I shook my head but smiled. "It's going to be sunny today. That would be fine if you had tinted windows, but seeing that you do not and I left my car at home, there are only a few options available to us."

"Where do you usually go when it's sunny?" she asked.

"We stay out of sight, or stay home. There is a place..." I thought about that for a moment.

How would I get Bella there? We would have to drive and her truck didn't go very fast. The windows would also pose a problem when the fog lifted and the clouds dissipated. And I couldn't very well take her home with me if the family wasn't expecting her.

In the short amount of time it took me to consider our options, my phone received a new text message.

_Take I-90 to exit 25.  
There's a Park & Ride with lots of shade.  
We'll leave the Volvo for you.  
I don't know where exactly it is you're thinking of going,  
but it should work well and make Bella smile.  
Tell her I say "Hi!" –A_

"I guess we're going for a drive and then a short hike," I said and then showed Bella the text.

"How does she _do_ that?" she laughed lightly after a moment.

"That's just Alice. She'll probably pack you a lunch and everything. She's usually very thorough."

"Usually..." she mused and then sat up to look at me. "But she can't see the boys? The wolves, I mean."

"No."

"You must have been worried when she sent you to come get me."

"I was. I still am."

"I'm sorry."

"You're here. You're safe. That's all I need for now."

"Me too. I mean being here."

"We have at least an hour or so to talk in the car," I suggested.

Bella sighed loudly. "Good. That's good."

"Whenever you're ready, love. I'm here. You should also get some rest if you're tired."

"I'm okay now. Just trying to decide where to start."

I smiled and put my arm up over the back of the seat in invitation. She shifted over some more and leaned into my side.

"So I guess your family had a meeting with the pack after I left town Saturday morning," she began after a moment or two.

"We did," I answered, not too surprised that she already knew that.

"Why?" she asked quietly.

"Alice had some information for them. It was fairly important."

Bella seemed to consider that a moment before continuing. "Did you know that you were going to be seeing them before I left?"

"No. Alice called after you pulled away."

She was quiet again. Watching her from the corner of my eye, I could tell she was thinking heavily about something. She sighed and then continued.

"So the thing is... that after your little meeting, Sam called the tribal counsel and then gathered the entire pack together. Including Embry. When he phased on his way there that night, the rest of the guys became aware of the fact that he believed you and I were, or are, _together. _Not surprisingly, that didn't go over so well in La Push. Embry got into a fight with Jacob. Then..."

The hair on the back of my neck stood up when her voice fell off. Then..._ what_?

"Did he hurt you? Speak to you harshly? So help me, Bella-" I lifted my arm from her and gripped the wheel in her ancient truck, feeling it bend beneath the abuse.

"No, stop." Bella squeezed my bicep and interrupted my rant. "It wasn't Jake. Not at first."

"At first?" I looked at her incredulously.

"Just wait, we'll get there. It wasn't a huge deal. He didn't say anything I didn't already know. What got to me was something Sue Clearwater said to me when she came to dinner last night. She's Charlie's girlfriend, sort of... Anyway, she also happens to be on the tribal counsel."

"She didn't tell your father about us?" I asked, horrified by where I thought Bella was going with this.

"No, nothing like that."

"Then what, Bella? You're killing me here."

Bella gave me an exasperated look. "This is hard for me too, okay?"

I shook my head and tried to pull it together. "I know, love. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I understand. More than you know. I just... I can't believe it's come to this."

"Bella..." I warned. She really was going to drive me mad with the cryptic statements.

She sighed. "Fine, Sue asked me to use my influence with you to get your family to leave Washington and never come back."

"Excuse me?"

"She assumed, just as the pack did, that you have nefarious intentions. That you'd um... that you'd tried to seduce me." I could feel the heat of Bella's blush from where I sat as she continued right on. "Then she asked me to think of what it would do to Charlie if he knew, and as if that remark wasn't enough, she decided to hit below the belt by bringing Seth into the matter."

"How do you mean?" I asked.

"She asked me to send you away... for Seth." Bella took an unsteady breath. "She all but begged me to do it to protect him."

I came to a conclusion quickly. "Protect him... from phasing. He carries the trait but hasn't yet made the change."

Bella nodded. "Exactly, and his mother doesn't want him to have to carry the burden or be put in danger. She knew that I would sympathize with her and that I wouldn't want him to go through the change either." Bella wiped away a tear. "She knows I adore Seth. He's been like a brother to me the last year or so. I mean, of course we have... Our parents are close, and we've shared holidays. He looks up to me and I try to look out for him since his sister isn't around a lot anymore. And he's so smart, and kind, and completely carefree." She was quiet a moment. "He reminds me so much of Jacob ..._before_."

"Before he began phasing."

"Yeah," Bella whispered.

"You were asked to choose." It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"And..."

"And... that pisses me off a little. Sue had no right to ask me what she did! Nor to ask such a thing of your family! You guys are helping them for no other reason than because it's the right thing to do, and still they don't trust you. You live hundreds miles from their lands, and dozens of miles away from Seth, and still they act like they have a right to make this kind of decision. And finally, for all of these years that they've known me, not one of them, not even Sue, trusts me."

As relieved as I was that she wasn't sending me packing just yet, I felt the need to set her straight on one thing. "That's not entirely true, love. It's me they don't trust."

"Which is stupid! What else are you going to have to do to prove yourself?"

"I'm afraid there is nothing I can do. Now, as to whether or not Seth joins the pack... I don't know enough about what triggers the process to make any guesses as to our culpability."

She huffed out a breath. "That's just it, though. Are you to be blamed for existing? That's ridiculous and cruel. Not to mention that I don't believe for a second that what Sue said to me had anything to do with Seth, at least as far as the rest of the pack is concerned. As his mother, maybe... but the rest of them? They're trying to get rid of you specifically. This is about you... _me and you_."

I nodded but said nothing at first. I needed some time to process all she'd said. Fortunately being a vampire meant that I was able to do that quickly and Bella would never notice a lull in conversation.

"So you think that Sue's plea was actually the pack's effort to get you away from my influence," I said finally.

"Yes," Bella answered.

"And this is upsets you."

"Obviously," she frowned.

"What if staying away from me was what's best for you?"

Her eyes flashed and her tone grew fierce. "Don't say that. Ever. Just... don't."

For once I found her anger not amusing, but disturbing. "Bella..."

"No, Edward. Do you have any idea how tired I am of people telling me what's best for me? How many times I've been asked to make a decision in the best interest of whatever or whomever? Not that anyone has ever bothered to ask for my feelings in any of it!"

I sighed, as did she.

"For once, I'm actually going to choose what's best for me. Not someone else. Even though it's selfish..." Bella looked out the window and suddenly her tears were back. "Even though it means losing friends... and even though Seth may hate me someday."

"Bella, love, Seth couldn't possibly blame you if he joins the pack."

"No? How do you know that?"

"Sweetheart... he has the trait, it's in his genes. You have no control over that any more than I do. Despite any of our theories, we will never really know what caused them to start taking up their wolf form again."

"What if he does phase and then finds out I had the power to prevent it? That I could have asked you to go but didn't? What then?"

"Let me ask you something, love," I said, turning to her slightly. "What makes you think you have that kind of influence over me?"

Bella looked up with a bewildered expression. "Wh- what?"

I chuckled and looked back at the road.

"If it was what you really wanted, what you needed to be happy, then I would go. But if you think I would leave you behind to make things more convenient or comfortable for a bunch of arrogant, cocksure shape-shifters, then you greatly overestimate my self-control."

"Oh," Bella said slumping against me.

I lifted my arm and once again pulled her as close as her seat-belt would allow. "I've lived without you once. It's not an existence I wish to go back to."

"I know," Bella whispered. "Me either."

~(~)~

Bella fell asleep not long after that, no doubt drained from the long night she'd had and the emotional trip back. I still hadn't figured out whether or not she'd seen Jacob or run into any other problems with the pack while she was away, but for now I was content to know she was safe and had not been physically harmed.

A little over an hour later when we pulled into the Park & Ride just off of the interstate and I found my Volvo waiting for me, I breathed a sigh of relief. Bella's truck was hideous to drive. I think I could have picked it up and run with it faster than I was able to actually drive it. Not to mention, the entire time I was waiting for the sun to come out and make it look like a living disco ball was operating the beast.

Quickly, I pulled into the open space next to the Volvo and put my gloves and sunglasses on before pulling the hood of my jacket up over my head. The clouds were getting far too sparse to take any chances should someone else show up here and see me.

"Bella, love... wake up," I said lowly after I'd put her duffle and computer bag in the trunk of my car.

"Hmm?" Bella hummed as she opened her eyes.

"We need to change cars. Can you walk a few steps?" I asked.

"Oh. Sure, sure. Just let me..." She stretched her arms and yawned while I watched on in humble adoration. She was so cute when she was groggy. "What's with the get-up?" she asked when she looked at me fully.

"Nothing," I smiled. "Preventative measures. Are you ready? We need to get going."

"Yeah," she answered, a suspicious but amused expression on her face.

She was still eyeing me curiously when I removed the hood and glasses once we were seated in the car. Not a minute later the sun broke through the clouds and shone down on us. Even through the tinted windows, it was somewhat bright. Were it not for the long sleeves of the jacket I still wore, I was sure my arms would be giving off at least a soft luminescent glow.

"Where are we going?" Bella asked a few miles into the drive.

"A place I know. We'll have to hike a bit, but the view is worth it. And it's quiet there. Nobody for miles."

Bella sighed. "It sounds perfect. Even though we shouldn't have to hide."

"Is that what we're doing?" I asked honestly.

She shrugged. "It feels that way when I'm afraid to go home."

"Afraid?" I looked at her sharply.

"No, no... I misspoke. I just mean that I don't want to deal with what might be waiting for me at home."

"What? Or whom?"

Another sigh. "Whom, I suppose."

"Jacob?" I asked carefully.

"Maybe. I've been avoiding talking to him."

I smirked. "This I know."

Bella's head whipped over. "What do you mean? You've spoken to him?"

"I didn't have to." I tapped my temple and smiled.

"When did you see him? Oh my gosh, at the meeting!" She looked out the windshield with her brow all wrinkled up. "I didn't even think about that. How did I not realize?" I wasn't sure she was actually speaking to me anymore when she began mumbling under her breath.

"Bella, it's alright. We didn't even acknowledge each other –outwardly."

"But I... What was he thinking about?" She met my eyes anxiously.

"The usual; he didn't trust my family. He was suspicious of why we would offer our help so freely and worried, as did the rest of the pack, that we were leading them into a trap. In all fairness, Jacob's instincts are very good and he was wise to consider all the possibilities." I paused considering what else to tell her.

It probably wouldn't comfort her to know that he was staring daggers at me and planning to take me apart first if it turned out that we were leading them astray or using Bella in anyway. Nor would I care to inform her how very much in love with her Jacob still was; a fact that was painfully obvious whenever he thought of how many times he'd called her recently to no avail.

"Jacob feels quite... protective of you. Possessive even. It was rather hard to ignore."

"I'm sorry. He feels responsible for me."

"It's more than that."

"I know," she sighed, turning to look out the window. "It's been hard for him to let go. We were friends before we were anything else. That and he sees me as helpless and vulnerable in the whole scheme of things. I knew he'd flip out when he found out about us."

"A normal reaction to the situation."

That earned a small laugh from Bella. "Perhaps. Truthfully, I didn't know what to tell him. It would have been weird to explain that I was with someone else even if you weren't a 'Cold One'." She used little air quotes and rolled her eyes. It still baffled me how lightly she could speak of such things. "But... to them, you are. And that's all that you are."

"I understand."

Bella reached for my hand. "He tried to see me. In Forks. Jake drove Billy over to our house and then asked to talk to me, but Charlie sent him away. I was supposed to be taking a nap."

I figured as much was likely to happen and it took every ounce of experience I had with feigning nonchalance to keep my voice steady as I encouraged Bella to elaborate. "Is that when you called me?"

"Uh, no. No, that was something else." She blushed and looked away again. "Um, Jake called late last night after Sue went home after our little talk. I guess he figured he would try to convince me further."

"And you took his call this time." It wasn't really a question.

Bella shrugged. "I'd already been through the whole thing with Sue. Why not get it all out of the way at once?"

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked carefully.

She sat biting on her bottom lip for a long moment before speaking. "It was a short conversation. He was concerned at first, but got angry when I told him my life and relationships were none of his business. He told me I was being crazy and naïve and that I would end up regretting everything."

Bella fell silent while I focused on not losing my temper or falling into despair. As much as I despised the thought of Jacob speaking harshly with Bella, his concerns were the same as my own in many ways. Would she one day see me for what I really am and grow to resent or even hate me?

"And what if you do?" I asked, unable to hold it in.

"That could never happen."

"You don't know that. Things change, people change."

"Are you telling me that your feelings for me might change in time?" Her eyes snapped to mine.

"No, of course not. What I feel for you is eternal."

"Well then, you know exactly how I feel," she answered, squeezing my hand. "That's what Jacob cannot comprehend. There was never any decision to be made, not really. It's you. It's always been you."

"I don't think Jacob would see it that way."

Bella shook her head. "He doesn't know because I never let him see. You were with me all along."

She took my unnecessary breath away once again. If her dreams were any indication, I knew her words to be true. Lifting our hands to my lips, I kissed her skin over her knuckles gently. "You were with me too."

Bella smiled and laughed lightly.

"You know, now that I think about it... that's really not fair. You got to have your perfect photovampiric memory to hold you over while I was stuck with my fuzzy human recollections. And believe me... they don't hold a candle to the real thing."

I laughed. "_Photovampiric_?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "Photographic doesn't really do the power of your supernatural mind any justice."

I only laughed harder at her explanation and shook my head in wonder. How she managed to distract me in a moment and make me feel such genuine joy simply amazed me. Only moments ago, I'd been worrying myself over things neither one of us could control.

Bella giggled and curled up in the passenger's seat, leaning over so she could be closer to me. "Like that, did you?"

I smiled and leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "Very much so."

It was another hour and a half, including a short stop to give Bella a human moment, before we reached the small access road where I planned to park the car.

"We'll have to go the rest of the way on foot. I can carry you if you get tired and Alice left a backpack in the trunk with some water and fruit for you."

Bella nodded and stretched lazily in the seat while I got out to open her door and retrieve the bag in question.

"She is thorough, isn't she?" Bella commented when I opened the backpack to check its contents.

"We rely on her far too often. But I don't think she minds." I smiled and swung the bag onto my shoulders.

"Why do I get the feeling you're right?" Bella asked with a smile as I turned to offer her my hand.

"Hmm... Would her fashion-wise text messages have anything to do with it?" I teased.

"Probably," she giggled.

As soon as we entered the woods, Bella was all business. Light conversation was apparently off the menu as long as she was trying to remain upright. I was there before she could take a single misstep, but the hike became arduous for her after just a few minutes. The lack of a proper trail impeded her every movement.

"This was a bad idea. You've hardly slept. You'll exhaust yourself if we go much further."

"Don't be silly. How much farther is it?" she asked, slightly winded.

"A few miles."

Her eyes widened considerably. "Oh."

"Perhaps..." I trailed off, unsure if she would be willing to allow me to do what I was considering. "Would you want, or rather, would you allow me to carry you? I could show you how I would get there normally."

"Umm... how _would_ you get there normally?"

"I'd run."

"And you want to run while carrying me?" she asked, her voice growing in pitch.

"I won't drop you. You'll be perfectly safe and we'll get there much faster."

"I... guess so. You're sure?" Her voice was anything but convincing.

"Absolutely," I answered, bending my head at the same time I raised my hands to her face. My lips met hers tenderly, carefully even, but with purpose and passion. Bella sighed into the kiss and I felt her body relax against mine even as her lips and hands grew frantic. Pulling back before she could hurt herself or I could lose control, I smiled and whispered into her ear, "I won't let you fall."

Only a moment after she acquiesced, Bella and I were running. I was glad she agreed to me carrying her, because it turned out my approximation of the distance between the car and the exact mountainside I was looking for had been a bit off –I'd never tried to get there from the road before. Still, we were nearly at our destination within five minutes, which was a good thing as Bella began trembling a few hundred yards out.

"Are you okay, love?" I asked, slowing a bit before stopping completely. A small squeak was her only answer.

"Bella, are you alright?" I inquired again, reaching around to help her down.

"Think so... don't know," she answered as her feet hit the ground. They nearly went out from under her and I had to hold her against me to keep her from falling.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Should have closed my eyes," she answered, her hands fisted in my shirt and her head pressed against my chest.

I sighed in relief and then chuckled while rubbing her back. "You'll have to remember that on the way back."

"Oh, God," she groaned and I couldn't help but laugh fully. She tilted her head to scowl at me, though it was playful. "Yeah, yeah... make fun of the human," she muttered.

Still chuckling, I bent down to lift her chin and kiss her forehead, cheeks and then her nose. "I'm not making fun. I've just forgotten what it must be like to see with your eyes. I can't remember how the world looked to me before... or how it felt."

"Well, right now? It feels a little like the world is spinning too fast," she said with a small smile.

"I _am_ sorry. Do you need to sit down?"

"No, no." She shook her head. "I just... can we wait a little bit before we try that again? Please?"

"Of course. The forest is actually less dense through here, it may be easier for you to walk now than it was earlier and we're almost there."

"Good. I'd really hate to throw up on you," she laughed, though from the slight blush on her cheeks I had to wonder if perhaps she wasn't at least somewhat serious.

Ignoring that thought and taking her hand in mine, I led Bella slowly at first through the trees. After a few minutes, she seemed to get some strength in her legs back and picked up the pace by human standards. I remained at her side or just behind her when it was necessary for me keep her upright. As we walked on, we fell into occasional conversation along the way.

"So, I need to tell you something," Bella said after we'd both been silent a few minutes.

"What is it?" I asked, curious about the changes in her heart rate and breathing.

"It's about why I called you Sunday morning."

"Okay." I squeezed her hand gently, encouraging her to continue.

"I sort of mentioned you to my dad. I didn't tell him what you were or mention you by name but..."

She stopped walking and glanced over at me with a nervous expression. Fortunately, I was able to easily mask any surprise I felt, though there was little. In a quick movement, I pulled her to me and wrapped my arms around her.

"You told your father about me?"

The disbelief in her eyes was clear even before she spoke again. "Are you okay with that?"

I stroked her cheek softly. "Why wouldn't I be, love?"

"Well, I didn't know... we didn't really talk about it. I made a fuss over not wanting to explain the Volvo..."

"You did, and I suppose I wish that I'd been able to introduce myself to him properly... _but_ for obvious reasons that wasn't a possibility this weekend. How did he react?"

Bella laughed a little. "He really only wanted to know whether or not you were treating me well. And he was impressed that you trusted me with your laptop for the weekend."

"I'm guessing you didn't tell him I offered to buy you a new one then?"

"No," she said, rolling her eyes at me.

I chuckled and held her closer. "I'd like to introduce myself to him at some point soon. Graduation maybe?"

"I was thinking along those same lines. It makes the most sense and seems like a good time to introduce you. I only hope that Sue will be polite about everything and keep her mouth shut. I know she's not at liberty to tell my dad your secret, but if she's uncomfortable he's likely to notice."

"She'll be there then?"

"I don't know for certain. I had assumed that she would be there, along with Seth... but now I'm not sure."

"Perhaps it would be best if I attended on my own and met your father afterwards. Just us."

Bella sighed. "I don't want you to have to do that."

"I don't mind."

"But I do," she answered, her eyes telling me just how much. "Not to mention, Renee will be there as well and if she doesn't meet you then, it could be a long time before we get another chance."

I leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For wanting to include me in your life. For wanting me to meet your parents."

She smiled and blushed per her usual. "They should know you. Even if they can't know about you."

"I agree," I smiled down at her. I was glad she felt as she did because I was determined to give Bella as normal a life as possible. To be honest, I both desired and feared her parents' approval of our relationship. "Come on, we should keep moving," I said, keeping the rest of my thoughts to myself.

We walked a few more steps until Bella pulled back on my hand. I stopped to face her.

"Does... Did you tell your family about me?" she asked without looking at me. "I mean, other than the fact that Alice has visions or whatever... Do they know?"

"They know," I answered, before tenderly caressing her cheek with the back of my hand. I rested my palm there, feeling the heat of her flushed skin.

She shifted a little, leaning into my hand. "Because of Alice?"

"No, not just because of Alice."

"What did you tell them?"

"I didn't really have to tell them anything. You changed my whole world, Bella. I'm different now than I used to be. There's no hiding that."

"Oh," she said, biting on her bottom lip and fighting a smile.

"Why? Did you think that I would try to hide you?" My question was only slightly serious.

"I don't know. I just thought maybe that we were a secret. What with the rules and all." She shrugged.

_Ahh..._ "Well, yes. I suppose in that way we are a secret. However, with that one exception, I want everyone to know that you chose me. That I'm yours."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Do you doubt me so easily?" _Or did she doubt herself?_

Bella smiled sadly and then looked up at me with a somewhat guilty expression. "It's not that. Please don't think that, I guess I just needed to hear it again."

I lifted her chin and smiled.

"Which part? That I love you? That I want to be with you? Or that I would tell the whole world if I could?"

Bella's breath caught, but her eyes remained troubled, almost disbelieving.

"Do you need to hear it again?" I asked. She bobbed her head once slowly. "Alright then..." I answered, kissing her once. "I love you, I want you, and if I could, I would shout it from the tallest mountain."

Unexpectedly, Bella started giggling. I stood back, somewhat stunned that my sincerest declarations had garnered that reaction. She quickly stifled her laughter and looked up apologetically while raising her arms and wrapping them around my neck. Before I quite decided what she was doing, she pulled herself up to my lips. I could have been able to avoid her maneuver, but realizing it was the first time that Bella had initiated a kiss between us, I chose to stay still.

Her soft lips pushed into my hard ones, searing them with the icy fire I'd grown to both love and hate. My bloodlust flared for a brief moment but it wasn't long before Bella realized that I was a statue beneath her. "I'm sorry," she breathed against my tightly closed mouth. "Are you okay?"

I nodded and tried to smile. "It's fine."

She watched me for a moment. "I shouldn't have done that. Laugh at you, I mean. Well, I guess I shouldn't have just kissed you like that either, but I really didn't mean to start giggling like that, Edward. What you said was so very, very sweet and adorably old-fashioned. You just made me so happy and I couldn't help it. I'm sorry."

She raised herself on her toes and kissed me once again but on the cheek this time.

"Well... I guess I'm glad I could amuse you," I answered, after a moment of consideration.

Bella ran her fingers through the hair at my neck. "I really did love what you said. And I completely believe you, considering our current location." She glanced to the trees surrounding us. "Where are we by the way?"

I smiled more genuinely. "Come on. I'll show you... it's not much farther now."

I took Bella's hand and led her carefully the rest of the way through the woods towards the outcropping of rocks I knew we'd find and the small clearing just beneath them. I spotted it long before Bella and smiled in anticipation.

The foliage had greened up considerably since the last time I was here just a few weeks ago. The blue skies and warmer air complimented the singularity of this lovely spot on the mountainside. I really couldn't wait to see Bella's face when she saw the little patches of wildflowers in the clearing or the distant view of Mt. Rainier from the rocks. I hoped she would be able to see it. Few humans ever had the privilege of such a sight. For the most part, they simply never got this far into the national forest. I only hoped that she'd be interested in appreciating it after seeing the way my skin looked in the sun.

"How are you doing?" I asked just a few feet from where we were going.

She swung her arms a little and paused for a moment. "I'm good, a little tired."

"We're almost there. It's right through that break in the trees," I pointed.

Bella squinted and reached for my hand as she moved to step over a fallen log. "I see the sunlight." She looked up at me warily. "You'll show me?"

I smiled and nodded my head. "That's one of the reasons we're here. So you can see what I look like in the sun."

She took a deep breath and I heard her heart speed up. "Let's do this then."

I chuckled and followed her, wanting Bella to move into the clearing in front of me. I lifted her over another fallen log and we walked silently a few more steps. She stopped in front of a small stream of light that made its way through the trees and seemed to grow more anxious.

"Don't be scared," I whispered close to her ear as I guided her around the bit of sunlight. Her breath hitched at my attempt to soothe her and it unnerved me a little. Was it desire? Or fear?

_What if she was horrified by the sight of me?_

Unfortunately, there was no time to reconsider my plan as her next step forward put her at the edge of the trees. I listened to her breathing and heart rate for signs of anxiety while she took in the blades of grass that were dotted here and there with other foliage and the early blooms I knew would be opening by now. The expanse of green brushed up against grey where smooth granite jutted up out of the ground on one end of the clearing where it met the side of the mountain. It was from the top of those rocks that you could see the rest of the surrounding mountains and Rainier National Park.

While Bella made her initial inspection of the area before her, I moved silently towards a large tree that had a few boughs creating an area of deeper shade.

"Wow..." she breathed. From where I stood the word was barely audible even to me.

She walked slowly into the clearing, needing some time for her eyes to adjust to the brightness of the open space. I watched her taking everything in and marveling at what she saw. It pleased me to think she found it to her liking, but I wondered how she would remember this place in the days to come.

She seemed to begin to say something and turned around to find me gone from behind her. She spun around to look for me and I stepped forward slowly just to the edge of the shade where I'd already unbuttoned the top buttons of my shirt and rolled up the sleeves.

As our eyes met, I took a deep breath full of the scents of pine, grass, sunlight and Bella, and then lifted my foot and propelled myself forward into another first for me. It would be the first time I'd ever been seen for what I truly am in this long, formerly very lonely existence of mine. Despite all my efforts to be ready, I never could have been prepared myself for Bella's reaction. Nor could I have ever imagined what would come next.

~(~)~

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_End Note:__ Don't hit me for the cliffie, please? The next chapter is well underway and I hope to finish by week's end. Reviews help keep me motivated, though I hate to even ask as I have not had time to respond. Should you choose to have mercy on me and tell me what you thought anyway... I'd love to hear your predictions for what will happen next. *hint, hint!* _

_Hugs, Ginnie_

_EDIT:: Whoa... we're well over __**400 REVIEWS**__! Thank you so much! I cannot believe the response you've had to this chapter and the last, as well as the scores of new readers putting __**WDH**__ on alert even in the absence of updates. You are all wonderful and I love this fandom so much. Thanks for the support!_


	21. Chapter 20: In The Sun

**Author's Note:**

_Oh, where to begin... The response to the last chapter was phenomenal. Thank you so, so much! We're almost to 450 reviews now, which makes me so happy you get another update. ;-) Big thanks to __**farawaymomo**__ for pre-reading this bad boy and making me smile. __**Katmom**__, you're still the world's fastest beta! :-) _

_Happy Reading, Ginnie_

_**Disclaimer:**_** The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, May 2010. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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**Chapter 20: **

"**In The Sun"**

A sharp gasp, a pounding heart, and silence.

As Bella drew her hands up to her mouth at the sight of me, her mental silence had never been more agonizing. Would she turn away? Would she run? Would she...

"Beautiful."

The word was barely breathed, but still clear as a bell to my ears. And yet somehow I thought I must have heard wrong.

"_Beautiful_?" I asked, my brow wrinkling in confusion.

"You're beautiful. It's like... diamonds. It's..." She trailed off and swallowed. "I had no idea." Her voice, her face, her whole countenance seemed awestruck. It didn't make sense.

I couldn't even begin to fathom her thoughts at the moment. I didn't understand how she could look at me with anything but disgust. How did the alien and sheer unnaturalness of my vampire skin not frighten her? Perhaps she'd been imagining something far worse and simply felt relief that it wasn't as bad as she'd anticipated. I wanted to ask her these things, but remained frozen in place and unwilling to speak.

Bella's eyes darted to mine and then back to the skin of my exposed chest as she slowly lifted a hand. "May I?" she asked.

I took a deep breath and locked my body in place as I gave her silent permission with a nod of my head. I still wasn't sure what she was thinking, but at least she wasn't running away.

In fact, she was moving closer to me. Her first step was tentative, but slowly her movements became methodical and I realized she was giving me time to prepare. She wanted to touch me. Slowly, Bella continued to raise her hand towards me and then with the slightest smile on her face, trailed a single digit along my left collar bone from the indentation over my sternum all the way to my shoulder.

I gasped as the intense sensation of her touch slammed into me like an errant tidal wave. I hadn't expected to feel such an inappropriate amount of desire under her scrutiny, but I did. As she pushed open my shirt to expose more of my skin to the sunlight, I became increasingly aware of the fact that nobody had ever touched me where Bella was touching me now, nor had anyone touched me in the way that she was.

Her thumb briefly trailed back and forth over the path that her finger had traveled. The sensation was incredible. Her heat burned me in the most intimate ways imaginable. Just when I thought I wouldn't be able to stay still another second, Bella pulled her hand away from the skin near my shoulder. Giving me only a moment to recover, she ghosted her fingers over my arm and took one of my hands in hers. Lifting it up, she stroked the skin softly while twisting and turning my arm to see the play of the sunlight as it reflected and bounced.

I was struck by how very tender she was being with me. Being examined and inspected this way would have made me feel like a lab rat had it been anyone else. With Bella however, it was nothing like that. Part of me wanted to recoil from her ministrations due to the simple fact that a monster such as I was unworthy of such tenderness. But then, there was part of me that greatly yearned for it. Had she any idea what she was doing to me?

Bringing my focus back to her face, I was enraptured by the look of utter awe etched in my love's features. As she turned my hand over to stroke the inside of my wrist with her thumb, she smiled and closed her eyes. I was a bit confused when her brow creased and grew alarmed when she opened her eyes to blink back tears.

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

Bella met my gaze. "For what?"

"You're disgusted, aren't you?"

"What? No! Not at all."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's... I should explain."

"It's okay, you don't have to."

"But, I do. You just have no idea... It's incredible really."

"_Incredible_?"

Bella's eyes softened. "Yes. It's... amazing. I never knew, never understood."

"How could you know?"

"Well, I guess in some small way it makes sense. You're all perfectly beautiful. Why wouldn't you be even more so in the sun?"

"Bella..." I sighed in frustration. Once again, she failed to understand. "This isn't beautiful. This is what it looks like to be a monster."

"You're wrong," she said shaking her head. "I happen to have seen a monster or two in my lifetime and you're nothing like them."

I frowned at her and pulled my hand back. "You don't know that. I haven't told you. I've done horrible things."

"Most people have, Edward." Bella's voice was low and grew determined.

"Most people aren't murderers. I am. I've killed people, Bella."

I'd only given it 0.6 seconds of consideration before blurting that out. It was only fair that after the conversations she'd with both Sue Clearwater and Jacob Black that she at least hear the whole truth about me before committing to any decision. Her silence after I spoke struck fear in me that I'd finally said too much. Terrified, I lifted my eyes to find her staring at me with an unfathomable expression.

"Why?" her soft voice asked.

"I beg your pardon?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "Why did you do it, Edward? Was it for sport? Or out of spite?"

"No, of course not!" I responded emphatically. "I was young and rebellious. I thought I could play God, but I was never petty or cruel."

"Okay, so what happened? What made you do it? And what changed? You're obviously remorseful now."

I shook my head, not wanting to have this conversation, but knowing I'd brought it up. "I... I was bitter. Towards Carlisle... for making me into this." I gestured to my skin. "I did well coping the first few years, but after a while I couldn't imagine living like this for all of eternity. I knew Carlisle was genuine in his beliefs, but I grew resentful that he'd forced them and this existence on me. I thought I could find a better way. I thought human blood would leave me less... unfulfilled."

I struggled to find the right words for her as I began to explain the years I'd spent away from Carlisle and how I'd chosen to feed from humans based on their own actions, hunting only the worst of society. Somehow, I managed to tell Bella everything I needed to without terrifying her. But when I was done, the compassionate look on her face bothered me. Was she listening to me at all? Apparently she was.

"If you only knew then what you know now. Am I right?"

"Yes," I answered, though that was an understatement.

"Have you ever been tempted to try it again? Living that way I mean," she asked boldly.

I didn't have to think twice.

"Never. The day you walked into that biology classroom was the first time in almost seventy-five years that I was tempted to throw away my beliefs and our way of life. You're scent was so very overwhelming. I still don't know how I found the strength to resist."

Bella smiled sadly. "I know you hate it when I say this, but... I'm sorry. And I forgive you." She lifted a hand to my cheek and rendered me silent with the compassion and love present in her deep brown eyes. "I won't hold your transgressions against you, Edward. I don't want to play God either. And somehow..." she placed her other hand so that she was cupping my face. "I think that even God would forgive you for what you did and why –if you're truly sorry –and you are."

"Bella," I said sadly as I pulled her closer to me, wrapping my arms around her small waist and lowering my forehead to hers. "Thank you, but... I cannot agree with you. I just don't have that kind of faith anymore, love. Not that I will ever, ever, stop being beyond grateful that you've granted me your forgiveness. That alone is far more than I could have wished for."

Bella sighed and shook her head. She disapproved. "Why must you be so hard on yourself?"

I didn't answer, as I wasn't sure she meant for me to, and we stood silent for a length of time. Eventually, she lifted her forehead from mine and went back to examining my skin in the sun by tracing the lines of my face and jaw. I froze in place when she lowered her hands to my chest and placed a kiss over my stilled heart. If there was any way for it to start beating again, that might have caused it. Despite my efforts not to move, my whole body jolted from her simple gesture. She did it again and noticed my muscles twitch beneath her lips.

"Sorry," Bella whispered, removing both her mouth and hands from my bare skin.

"It's okay," I answered lowly, though I wasn't quite sure it was. One wrong move in a moment of excitement or panic and I could kill her.

We both remained silent until Bella took a deep breath and her heart sped noticeably. Glancing down, I saw her worrying her bottom lip between her teeth and frowned.

"What is it, love?"

She blushed. "Nothing. Just... Tell me more about why it's like this? Your skin?"

I wrinkled my brow and gave her a curious smile, but answered her anyway.

"When we are changed the venom sort of petrifies our cells, freezing them in the state they were at the time of the transformation. It also strengthens them. Our skin cells become rock hard and crystalline. They're like tiny unbreakable prisms that reflect sunlight. Although, we don't know why that is exactly or for what purpose."

"Amazing," Bella murmured. She was thoughtful a moment. "And all vampires are like this? They all sparkle?"

"Yes," I chuckled at the word. _Sparkle._

"And your venom causes this change?"

"Yes," I answered, growing concerned by the look of concentration on her face.

"So, how much venom is needed to turn somebody? Is there a certain amount required? Does it have to enter the body at a particular point? Like, does it have to be bite to the neck or a major artery? And is it like in the story books where the victim has to drink some of their creator's blood, or venom, or whatever for the changes to be permanent? And how is it—"

"Whoa, Bella, stop. Please," I begged. I'd ceased moving and just stared at her eyes dancing in curiosity. My expression must have been harsh because Bella's face changed and she was suddenly reaching up to touch my face.

"Hey," she said softly. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just have so many unanswered questions."

"I understand your curiosity given what you went through, but Bella... It's not a pleasant subject, nor one I really wish to discuss."

"Oh," she said, looking away and allowing her hand to drop.

"This is important to you." I could see that it was.

She nodded and met my eyes imploringly.

"Why?" I asked, not understanding.

She took a breath and mustered a nervous smile. "Because of this."

Bella reached down and pushed up one sleeve of her sweater and quickly removed the bracelet she usually wore there. Meeting my gaze again, she swallowed and lifted her arm, turning it to reveal the pale skin on the inside of her wrist. There at the base of her palm was a small line of slightly raised flesh much like a scar. A scar that shimmered in the sunlight.

"Bella..." I gasped, reaching out to feel it for myself. It was shockingly firmer than the rest of her skin, cooler too. "How?" I asked, my voice pained.

"I don't really know," she whispered as I ran my thumb along the formerly damaged flesh. It most certainly reflected light as did my own, but not to the same degree. I'd never seen anything like it. It wasn't a bite mark exactly, but it was definitely not normal human tissue either.

"Impossible..."

"That's what Jacob and Embry said. They're the only ones who know what it really is, or at least what we think it is. I wasn't ever really sure, but they seemed pretty positive. It healed too fast and it's... well, a little like your skin. I just didn't know your skin did that too."

"How did you get this mark?"

"It happened when I was attacked on First Beach. The vampire that almost..." Bella stopped and looked into my eyes. "It was from the attack I survived."

"Please tell me," I answered, imploring her with my eyes.

She shook her head. "No, Edward."

"Please, Bella."

"I..." She sighed and looked down. "I was in La Push. It was Charlie's birthday that weekend and we were celebrating it at Jake and Billy's place. I got irritated with Jacob at one point and decided to go for a walk. It's ironic actually, because I know now that the reason Jake took off on me in the middle of a conversation –like he always did, with no explanation – was because some of the boys had caught the scent of Victoria's coven on the Reservation."

I scowled. "They didn't think to tell you or anyone else there to stay inside?"

Bella shrugged. "I don't know. As soon as Jake ran off I stomped out the front door in a huff. I didn't even tell my dad where I was going because I didn't want him to worry."

"Bella..."

"Oh, stop. You can't scold me for something that happened two and a half years ago, Edward."

I smiled despite myself and exhaled a laugh as I pulled Bella's wrist to my nose and inhaled. I kissed her scar and met her eyes. "I'm sorry, continue."

"Um... well, I walked down to the beach. There was nobody there as far as I could see, so I just sat for a while and watched the waves. It got pretty cold so I stood up to head back, but I didn't get more than two steps before walking into something solid. I remembered letting out a startled yelp and looking up, expecting it to be one of the boys but it wasn't."

She paused for a moment and I gently stroked her cheek with the back of my hand, more to calm myself rather than her. She smiled a little before going on.

"Besides the fact that he didn't budge an inch when I ran into him, his eyes told me what he was right away. They were dark, but unmistakably red. Blood red. That was all I saw of him before he had me by the throat. I couldn't scream. I tried fruitlessly to grab at his hands where they held me, but he only tightened his hold around my neck. I vaguely remember him speaking to someone else right before I thought I was going to black out. Then he suddenly let go and spun me around so that I was facing away from him with my arm wrenched above and behind me. He still had me by the throat, but I was able to breathe and I could feel his breath on my hand. He growled and laughed when Jacob and Embry appeared in front of us."

Bella looked up at me with a worried expression and I realized that I'd made some kind of sound. I almost rolled my eyes at her. Here she was reliving one of the most horrific things that she'd probably ever experienced and she was concerned about me. Pulling her close, I held her in my arms as tightly as I dared.

"Do you want me to continue?" she whispered as she laid her head against my chest.

"Yes," I answered, kissing the top of her hair. She nodded in return and took a deep breath.

"Jake and Embry started running towards us. There were hisses and growls all around me. Jacob was screaming my name and then he was suddenly jumping and leaping into the air. He exploded mid-leap; skin and clothes shredding and exploding into fur in the air above me. The next thing I knew I was thrown at least twenty feet down the beach. I landed in a heap just at the edge of the surf. I didn't have any idea what had just happened, to me or to Jacob. I just knew that it was something horrible. I turned to see what was going on and realized I was hurt and partially submerged in the Pacific Ocean.

"My arms wouldn't cooperate with me to pull myself up out of the water. One of them felt like it had been ripped out of the socket, which it nearly had. My shoulder was dislocated so I didn't notice most of my other injuries right away. Just when the pain became almost unbearable, I started to go numb from the cold. It all gets a little fuzzy for me after that because I realized I was bleeding. To be honest, I don't know how I managed to stay conscious at all. Blood was running into my eyes from this..." She ran a finger over the scar at her hairline and my throat flared at just the idea of her sweet blood running freely.

I looked down at her desperate to reconnect myself with the fact that she was alive and unharmed, as well as to remind myself that the monster within me would not, could not, harm her. She seemed to sense my tension and immediately met my eyes with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry. I guess I should have left that part out." She took a deep breath and her eyes lost focus, I could almost see her sinking back into her memories. "I watched Jake and Embry, as wolves of course, tear the two males apart. The rest of the pack showed up not long after to help. I never knew there was a third vampire until later. I passed out after seeing Jacob phase back to his human self and when I came to, I sort of freaked out on them. Sam had to explain everything to me just to calm me down enough to see a doctor."

I sighed heavily. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I should have been there."

"How could you have known?"

"I never should have left you," I answered, for the first time believing it was true.

"You're here now. It's in the past. I'm okay."

I lowered my head towards hers. "I swear to you, I will never let anything like that happen to you again."

"I know."

"Good." And then I kissed her.

I knew somewhere inside of my overwrought brain that by acting out of desperation I could be nearly as dangerous to Bella as I could be when acting out of passion. I knew that I should have waited until my emotions were more stable before even thinking of kissing her. But in that moment all I wanted, what I desperately needed, was to be as close to her as possible. I could barely stand to think of my Bella alone and unprotected against another of my kind. Knowing previously that she had gone through that did nothing to prepare me for actually hearing her describe it in her own words. I was angry that this unknown vampire had dared to touch her. I felt irrational amounts of both jealousy and possessiveness, but also fear and anguish.

It could have been over so quickly. He could have crushed her throat the moment he touched her. He could have drained her before Jacob and Embry ever got there. I could have lost Bella before I ever really knew her. I would have never known the warmth of her smile, or the joyful sound of her laugh, or the beautiful enigma that was kissing my one and only love; an act that was currently both heaven and hell all wrapped up into one.

We were breathless when I pulled away; Bella genuinely so. Only a moment earlier she'd very nearly crossed a dangerous line because of my own carelessness in parting my lips to taste her more fully and breathe in time with her. Not only that, but I'd stopped paying proper attention to whether her whimpers were those of pleasure or pain towards the end of our kiss. I'd been holding her with more force than was prudent. It was foolish. _I_ was foolish.

"Are you alright?" I asked, urgently scanning her for any signs of distress. Her eyes were still closed and she felt limp in my arms. "Bella, are you okay?"

Bella sighed and smiled widely without ever opening her eyes. "I'm okay. Very, very, _very_ okay."

Though I was relived, I still needed to be sure. "Open your eyes, love." She did as I asked and I smiled remorsefully. "Are you in any pain? Was I too rough with you?"

She shook her head and slipped her arms up around my neck. "Nope. Not at all. In fact, feel free to do that anytime."

I let out a breath and touched my forehead to hers. "You're so human."

She pulled back and raised an eyebrow in challenge. "You like me human."

I smiled. "I do. Which is why I'm so..." I shook my head slightly, trying to rid myself of the mental images and the errant fears. "I'm sorry for my behavior. Even if I didn't hurt you this time, handling you like that was out of line. I just thought too much about what could have happened. This," I said, raising her wrist to touch the scar there again. "This should have ended your life. You shouldn't be standing here right now and I just reacted. I'm sorry for accosting you the way that I did."

Bella laughed, hard. "You didn't accost me. You kissed me; your girlfriend, or mate, or whatever I am. The last time I checked that wasn't a crime. Especially not when..." she sighed and softened her voice. "Especially not when you're feeling overwhelmed and need to be reminded that the one you love is here with you and safe."

"How did you know that's what I was doing?" I asked, slightly awed at my... _mate._ The word seemed strange to me.

"Because, I think that's a very normal reaction to anxiety or fear," she paused and her eyes volleyed back and forth between mine. If possible, she blushed a deeper shade of crimson than I'd ever seen before. "It's what I wanted to do the moment I saw you this morning."

_Oh_. And then I frowned. "But _you_ controlled yourself."

"Only because I was too scared to act."

"What? Why?" I asked.

She sighed and her cheeks flushed with color again. "I'm afraid, or I was afraid, that you wouldn't want... _that_. I'm still not quite sure that this thing between us is the same for you as it is for me."

I must have looked at her as though she had three heads. "What do you mean?"

"Well... it's just like you said. I'm human. You're... not." She frowned. "Kissing me can't be easy for you and you don't... I don't know," she shrugged, looking at the ground.

"Do you believe that I don't enjoy kissing you?"

"I don't know."

I sighed and lifted her chin. "Believe me, love... I enjoy it. Far too much. I'm constantly afraid of hurting you. Of losing control. I cannot lose control with you, you must understand that. After what you saw with your own eyes, after what almost happened to you, you must know how I could hurt you."

She said nothing, but nodded simply with her heart hammering in her chest and her bottom lip caught between her teeth. "If that's all that it is..."

"It is. I've never wanted to be human again more than I have since you came into my life. I would give anything to be what you deserve, because I want to be everything to you, Bella. I'm only sorry that I can't be."

"Don't be silly. You already are. "

~(~)~

With our hands twined together, I led Bella towards the rocky outcropping near the edge of the clearing. We climbed up easily and enjoyed the view for a moment before Bella sat on one of the rocks. I joined her and we sat in the sun for a long time just watching each other and occasionally glancing out across the mountains. Bella took one of my hands so that she could examine it in the sunlight once more. The shapes she traced in my palm were stimulating, yet somehow soothing at the same time. I watched the small line on her wrist as it reflected the sunlight alongside my own skin and felt the deep seed of guilt that I knew would always be there. I reached over and captured her hand, pulling it to my mouth and placing a kiss over her scar.

Eventually Bella shifted and stretched uncomfortably, so I suggested we move off of the rocks and back into the clearing. A few moments later, back in the tall grass, I swung the backpack that Alice had packed for us off of my shoulders and pulled out a blanket and some snacks for Bella. She smiled at the gesture and I handed her a bottle of water once we were both seated on our blanket; the same one from our picnic just a few nights ago.

"Thank you," she said softly, before taking a small sip. She set it aside and turned to face me with her legs crossed in front of her, her deep brown eyes swirling in thought. I moved forward slightly and mimicked her position until our knees were almost touching.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked.

Bella smiled. "Truthfully?"

"Of course."

She nodded and chewed on her lip.

"Don't edit, just tell me."

Bella's eyes flashed and she frowned slightly. "I don't edit."

"Yes, you do... Quite frequently if I had to guess, which I do, because I can't see what's going on inside that glorious head of yours."

She laughed. "That really bothers you, doesn't it?"

"I'm afraid it will drive me to insanity at some point, yes. On the other hand, it is nice to be able to be quiet with somebody. Just another thing I never had before you came along."

"I'm glad I can do that for you," she said softly. After a beat, "And to answer your question, I was thinking more about my scar and the questions I asked you earlier."

I nodded. "I've been thinking about that too."

"He didn't bite me obviously," she continued matter-of-factly. "I've been thinking that I must have somehow been cut, but not bitten. That day in my kitchen when you explained about how sharp your teeth are, you said I could slice open my skin without even trying."

I nodded, surprised that she remembered that. The way she'd been kissing me earlier made me wonder if she'd forgotten.

"From the way you described your attack, it's quite possible that the vampire who had you was planning on biting you but Jacob moved quickly enough to stop him. Despite that, your hand must have come in contact with his bared teeth during the scuffle." I frowned and took her hand in mine, examining her scar yet again.

"There's something else though... What is it?" Bella asked.

"I don't understand why the venom didn't begin the change."

"So it doesn't need to be a certain amount?"

"I don't think anyone's ever bothered to test it. More often than not the victim is killed before the process can begin. Most of us don't have the control to stop once we've begun feeding." I grimaced. I hadn't meant to be that candid with her. "Sorry."

"It's okay. You don't scare me, you know."

I shook my head and grinned. "So you keep saying." When she arched an eyebrow in challenge, I couldn't stop myself.

Issuing a playful growl, I leaned back and dropped Bella's hand before swiftly rocking back until I was on my feet in a low crouch. Before she had a chance to register the movement or see me coming, I had her flat on her back with her arms over her head.

"As if you'd ever see me coming," I teased, watching in delight as her startled eyes struggled to react to the change in position or my sudden nearness. She sputtered and gasped a moment before her eyes narrowed.

"Did you just _pounce_ on me?"

I laughed and sat up, moving off of her and releasing her arms. "Hardly."

She smacked at my leg where it was closest to her with a soft and highly amusing growl. "Ow," she complained when she pulled her hand away. Her smile remained, but she shook her hand and flexed her fingers.

I reached out to examine them. "Are you okay?"

Bella rolled her eyes and sat up. "I'm fine."

"You hit me," I complained, pouting a bit in jest.

Bella laughed. "You pounced on me!"

"I'd do it again to. You said I didn't scare you."

"Do you want me to be scared?"

"Maybe a little. I am the world's fiercest predator. What would it say about me if my own girlfriend wasn't afraid of me?"

"Ahh... you poor, poor scary monster," she laughed and then threw her arms around my neck, pulling herself up so we were nose to nose. "Don't worry, I really didn't see you coming. You shocked the hell out of me, even though I knew I was safe in your arms."

She kissed me once and abruptly moved back, laying down and rolling onto her side propped up on one elbow. I narrowed my eyes at her in confusion and she just laughed and patted the spot in front of her. I stretched out and rolled to my side, mirroring her position.

"What are you thinking about?" Bella asked, wiggling her eyebrows. "And don't edit."

I chuckled and shook my head at her for using my own words against me.

"Well, I think about quite a lot at any given time. Just now, I was thinking that you're a tease and I like this playful side of you. I never know what you're going to do. Then of course, that thought makes me remember how much I wish I could hear your thoughts. I wish I knew what your mental voice sounds like and I wonder if it would be different to me than other voices. Would I would be more aware of your thoughts than I am of theirs?" Bella grimaced, apparently not liking that idea. "I was also thinking that you've got the most adorable freckles I've ever seen." She blushed, and I grinned in response. "And we've been in the sun for some time, so I was calculating the probability of you getting sunburned."

Bella's face was amused. "Is that all?"

"No. Shall I continue?"

She nodded eagerly and I laughed before growing more serious. "Okay. One of my thoughts has been dancing around in my head for some time actually. You see, I was trying to decide how to ask you to meet my family."

Bella's face went a little pale for a change and her eyes growing impossibly wide. "Really?"

"Yes. Are you afraid now?"

She shook her head. "Not like you're thinking. I'm just..."

"Nervous?"

She smiled. "No, I mean, yes. I am, but not like that." Her cheeks heated and she stared into her lap. "What if they don't like me?"

"That's what you're worried about?" I asked, incredulously. Of all the ridiculous things she could be thinking. "They'll love you," I assured her.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I know them well. And your charms are impossible to resist, trust me."

"You're flattering me now."

"Is it flattery, if it's the truth?" I asked her. She shrugged. "Bella, I will admit that Rosalie may not be thrilled at first, but the rest of my family can't wait to be re-introduced to you."

She sighed. "And will it be a problem? You know, me being this." She gestured to herself.

"I'll protect you," I crooned, stroking her cheek with the back of my hand and leaning forward to kiss the spot below her ear.

She smiled and bit her lip. "Okay... When? Where?"

"Next weekend, I'll take you to my house on your day off."

"Sounds fun," she sighed, her body shuddering slightly and her voice less than convincing.

"Come here," I said lowly. Her eyes met mine and her breath hitched at my nearness to her. I lowered my mouth to hers and pressed my lips against hers gently. She rolled backwards, bringing me with her until I was leaning over her. I kissed her again more deeply before pulling away, placing several chaste kisses on her eyes and nose as I did. Her eyes stayed closed when I finished, but there was a contented smile on her face.

"Am I putting you to sleep, love?" I teased. She giggled and shook her head. The look in her eyes when she opened them was sleepy but also dark with desire.

I debated for a moment whether or not to test myself again in this way so soon. Each caress of our lips was still very much a war within me for control. When her fingers found their way into my hair and I felt her pulling down on my head however, I gave in with an unaudible groan.

It didn't last long, as soon as her arms wrapped fully around my neck I rolled onto my back and brought her with me, breaking away from her lips as I did. She sighed and touched her fingers to my mouth, tracing the shape of my lips, before laying her head down on my chest and curling herself more fully into my side.

Hours later, we remained lying together on our blanket, both warm and content. Bella had fallen asleep at some point and for once I was able to hold her in my arms without running the risk of causing her chills. Thanks to the sun that leant its heat to me all afternoon, my skin was now as heated as the rocks we'd sat upon earlier. My palms had an added advantage over the rest of my body by being pressed against my love's back, and my chest now radiated an illusion of warmth where her cheek rested against the skin over my sternum.

Relishing in the feel of Bella's weight against me, I took a deep breath of her heavenly scent. For the moment anyway, it called only to my heart. My thirst, though always present, had somehow retreated to the farthest recesses of my mind.

Perhaps the respite from that particular torture was a result of spending too much time thinking about how I'd almost lost Bella entirely. While she slept peacefully, frightening images of stone-cold fingers locked around her delicate neck haunted me. Thoughts of what would have happened to her had Jacob Black and Embry Call not shown up when they did plagued me. I was greatly relieved when Bella finally stirred and began waking.

She picked her head up after a moment, placing a feather light kiss on my chest before lying back down and sighing against me. Her arms tightened around me and although I barely registered the pressure, the feeling was delightful.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked softly, running my fingers through her hair.

Her body shook as she laughed silently above me. "Oh, now come on... I know you'd pay a lot more than that for them."

I chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Yes, but I prefer to be gifted with them. No amount of money would replace you sharing yourself with me willingly. Did you have a good nap?"

She turned around, propping herself up on my chest with her head resting on top of her hands. "I did. The best actually."

I smiled lightly, feeling a bit embarrassed by her words.

"Were you bored?" she asked.

"With you in my arms? Never."

"Maybe you need a new hobby if watching me sleep is that exciting," she teased.

"And miss hearing you talk?"

She blushed and hid her face. "What did I say now?"

"You said you love me."

She giggled. "Well, you already know that."

"Still, it's nice to hear."

She looked up from her hiding place and met my eyes. "I love you."

I reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "As I love you."

She laid her head back down and for a time I took my breaths in unison with hers, listening to her heart beat its heady rhythm. I would have died again to know what she was thinking as she played with the buttons on my shirt.

"Edward?" she called after too long a time.

"Yes, love?"

"What if I'd been changed? When I was attacked? What if what you said should happen... did?"

My body stiffened and my hands stilled in her hair. "That's not anything you'll ever have to worry about."

Bella sat up a little frowning. "That's not what I asked you, Edward."

I scowled. "What are you asking me, Bella? _Why_ are you asking?"

She shook her head and her eyes registered hurt. I'd hurt her feelings. "I just want to know."

I sighed and softened my tone. "It doesn't matter now, does it?"

She was quiet a moment, searching my face. Something passed in her expression, some thought that I saw clearly expressed in her eyes but could not identify. "I think it does. Please answer the question. If I'd been bitten, or like you said, the venom started the change like it should have, what would have happened to me?"

I sighed and sat up, pulling away from Bella a bit. She crawled to her knees but refused to let my gaze drop. "You would have become a vampire. You would have burned, experiencing a kind of pain that you cannot possibly imagine, for roughly three days. Though, I cannot imagine what would have happened to you if your sire had been destroyed and you woke up alone. I suppose the wolves would have had to... destroy you... before that could happen." The words hurt to say.

Bella's heart pounded in her chest and she swallowed hard. "Why?"

I frowned. _Why must she always be some damn inquisitive?_ "You would have been wild, Bella. Without your sire to keep you under control, you would have been crazy with thirst and killed the first living being you came upon. Probably the first dozen living beings you came upon."

"Oh."

"Do you see now why I didn't want to talk about this? I've had almost a century to learn to control myself. What you see when you look at me, it's an illusion. We don't wake to this life as anything other than what we are; monsters –vicious, bloodthirsty, unconscionable monsters."

Bella's heart continued to race and her breathing was a bit fast, but she remained still and seemingly calm. I could see her thinking, processing what I had told her. Would she run now? Would she ask me to take her home and give her some space? Would she see me as I really am? Nothing else had worked and she needed to know who it was she was in love with. Did she know that now?

Minutes passed and I was growing more and more uncomfortable. Bella had taken my hand in hers again now that the sun had dipped lower in the sky and the trees cast a tall shadow that blocked the sun's rays. My skin no longer sparkled for her and she seemed to be investigating it with a renewed purpose. Was it a distraction from the rest of her thoughts?

"Please say something," I finally whispered. I was interrupted by my phone ringing.

Bella smiled weakly and told me to answer it.

"Alice?" I asked, connecting the call.

"Edward?"

"Yes?" I asked, concerned by her tone. She'd seen something. "What's wrong?"

"I... I had a vision."

"What is it? Victoria?" I spoke so quietly and quickly that Bella could not detect it.

Alice sighed. "No, nothing like that. I, um... I saw Bella."

"What about Bella? Alice, please... she's sitting right here. Surely, you know this?"

"I do, but I was trying to give you privacy so I haven't been watching. What were you two talking about a few minutes before I called? Did something happen? Did you... decide something?"

I let out a noise of frustration, though our conversation continued at a level Bella was unaware of. "Be more specific, Al. Exactly when did you have your vision and what did you see?"

"It was about five minutes ago. It's nothing to be immediately concerned about, but... I saw..."

"What?"

"I saw you and Bella arguing."

"When?"

"Soon. As you leave the meadow. She was crying. Please don't make her cry, Edward. Just listen to what she has to say and remember that she loves you. She loves you more than I think you realize."

"Alice... I don't understand. What could I have possibly done? I didn't hurt her, did I?"

"Not physically, no. Did you ever find out why she was upset this morning? I only caught snippets. Like I said, I was trying not to spy on you."

"I appreciate that, but you're sort of interfering _now_. I need to go." Slowing my voice to a rate Bella would be able to hear, I added, "Is that everything?"

Alice growled lightly. "You need to listen to me, Edward. If you hurt her, I'll hurt you, got it? Don't screw this up."

It took all of my willpower to control my expression. "I understand," I said simply and ended the call.

Bella smiled and I apologized.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yes," I lied. "Alice was just reminding me that it will be dark soon. You'll be getting cold and hungry."

Bella blushed. "Oh."

"Shall we?" I asked, playing it off as though I'd been telling the truth.

"I guess so. If you run us back, do we have some time?"

"Yes," I answered hesitantly. I didn't want to risk staying and having Alice's vision come true. Then again, Alice had said we were arguing as we left the meadow. I couldn't even begin to imagine having a disagreement with Bella, so it was a little surreal to be trying to avoid one.

"What's wrong?" she asked, apparently sensing my unease. _So perceptive..._

"Sorry, love... I was just wondering how you are doing? With everything I told you right before Alice called... Recalling the details of your attack for me... Then you were so upset earlier about the conversations with Sue and Jacob." I reached out to touch her, taking her hand in mine. "How are you feeling?"

She took a deep breath and then another. "It's been a long day."

"It has. You didn't answer my question though," I smirked and tried to get her to smile. She did.

"I guess I'm... okay. I feel a little like I'm on a precipice but I'm not unsteady. I'm just... figuring out how to balance. Does that make any sense?"

"You're adjusting to some big changes in your life. That makes perfect sense."

"Good."

I smiled and kissed the back of the hand I was holding. "What now?" I asked, hoping she would direct me. I would give her anything. Do anything for her. All she had to do was ask.

"I want to talk to you about the future."

"What about the future?"

She blushed. "Well... we're in love with each other. You say you'll feel this way forever. I know I will too." She met my eyes. "I'm about to graduate from college and become a bona fide adult. You want me to meet your family..."

My smile grew until I thought it would eclipse my whole face. Plans. Life plans. Future plans. Bella wanted to make plans with me.

"And you want me to meet your parents as well, love," I added.

She squeezed my hand. "Exactly. And neither of us is getting any younger."

A sense of unease spread over me, and my smile faltered some. "Very true," I responded casually.

"So..." Bella's heart rate sped once again and she began chewing on her lip viciously, making my unease grow. "So... I guess that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I mean, I don't even know if you would want me in that way. But if you did, if you wanted me no matter what, then I want you to know that's what I want too."

My smile fell completely and I suddenly realized why Alice had seen what she did.

"Bella... what are you saying?"

She blushed again and swallowed nervously. "I'm saying that I want a future with you. I want to be with you, Edward."

"You are with me," I answered swiftly.

"No, Edward. Not like this." She met my eyes and my heart broke in two. "Forever, I want to be with you forever."

~(~)~

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**End Note:**

_Well... we all know what's coming next. Will Edward ever learn? ;-) Don't worry, I won't drown you in the arguments we've all read a million times. Next chapter will touch on it and move on to hopefully better things. _

_This update may or may not be my last before the Christmas holiday. The chapter is well underway, but I am SOOOO behind in real life and my family has a very full few weeks ahead of us with many events going on leading up to the big day. I'll try, but either way, I do promise another update before the New Year! _

_PS- Santa, if you're out there... Virginia May would like her 500th review for Christmas. Thank you. *smiles sweetly* ;-) _

_PPS- "In The Sun" is another fabulous She & Him tune. If you haven't heard it, hop on over to You Tube and have a __listen__. www. youtube. com/ watch?v= pZ3cTwI9bIw [just remove the spaces] :-)_


	22. Chapter 21: Anger, Denial and A Dog

_**Author's Notes: **Happy New Year, everybody! I hope you all have a safe and fun holiday and a blessed 2011! Thanks to **Katmom** for the uber-fast beta job. I forgot to send her the chapter, so the delay is all on me. My apologies. _

_**Disclaimer: **The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, May 2010. No copyright infringement is intended._

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_(*****One quick formatting note**: Because FF is silly and removes a lot of the formatting from Word, there are some places in this first section below where italics are meant to indicate that Edward is remembering back to his earlier conversations with Bella. I hope it's not confusing to anyone.)  
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**Chapter 21:**

"**Anger, Denial & A Dog"**

"Alice... When? How?" I growled, pacing like a caged animal. "I don't understand!"

My roar did not escape the attention of my parents who had come to stand just outside my bedroom door, their faces and thoughts full of sympathy and understanding. It only frustrated me more.

"What changed? What did I do?"

Alice shook her head as she sat curled up in Jasper's lap. He'd tried to keep me calm while she'd shown me what I asked her to. Unfortunately, it was the one thing I'd feared since Bella uttered those words to me last night.

_"I want you to make me like you..."_

"I don't think you did anything, Edward. I don't even think this was just because Bella decided," Alice said quietly.

I stopped pacing. "What do you mean?"

She sighed. "I mean it's the same vision. The _exact _same vision I had in Forks five years ago. Nothing has changed. Not a single thing."

"How can that be?"

Alice met my eyes with a guilty expression. "I didn't tell you this before, because I thought it meant that you were getting what you wanted. I thought it meant you had succeeded in changing the future I saw for her."

"Alice... what?"

"I looked for her future after you left for Europe the first time."

"Why?" my tone was clipped.

"I was worried. I couldn't see where you were going to end up." Her thoughts told me what her words did not. She was concerned I might end up back in Forks. "I'm sorry. It's not that I didn't trust you, but the future was so muddled up at the time. There were so many possibilities and I thought if I couldn't see what you were going to do, at least I'd be able to make sure that Bella would be okay."

"So what did you see?"

"Nothing I hadn't already seen."

Her gaze never wavered, but I blinked rapidly, feeling disjointed as I saw in her thoughts what she was trying to tell me. She continued explaining while Jasper sent waves of calm over me.

"I was shocked myself, but out of all the little mundane visions of her very lonely human life in Forks, her future still pointed to her becoming one of us."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Alice glared at me. "What good would it have done? You'd already exiled yourself from her and from us. What more could any of us have done to prevent it?"

"But if my leaving did nothing to change her future..."

"I was going to tell you that. I was going to tell you to come home, that it didn't matter anyway... but I saw it would only make things worse for you. And then..."

Her thoughts spilled out faster than I could follow in my current state. "Alice, please say it out loud."

"There was a brief time, about six months after we left Forks that I thought I might have finally figured out a way to tell you about Bella without making you fly off the handle. But then... the vision just vanished. I didn't realize at the time, but I don't think the vision had actually changed. It just disappeared."

"The wolves."

"I think so. That's why it's the same vision now as it was then. It never went away. It was just blocked to me as long as Bella's fate was interwoven with the pack's. And I can feel the difference now. When Bella's with Embry at work, or when she went away this weekend, it's different than when I try to see parts of the future that aren't there yet because the decisions haven't been made."

"So leaving her behind, leaving you, our family... it was all for naught," I said. I looked up at Carlisle and Esme and the weight of what I'd done to them began to crash down on me.

Alice sighed. "I saw her back in Phoenix once, there were moving boxes. That was why I'd assumed she would go back there. I never could have imagined the truth. If I'd known... I would have told you, Edward."

I closed my eyes and processed my thoughts and hers for another moment. "I know, Alice. I believe you."

I went to her and patted her shoulder even as my eyes locked on my father's. I knew he saw my look as pleading. I had no idea what I was supposed to do.

Carlisle nodded subtly and cleared his throat. "I believe I'd like to speak with my son now. Will the rest of you kindly excuse us?"

He stepped forward, giving Esme's hand a small squeeze before pointing towards the open glass doors behind me. _Shall we take a run?_

I nodded once and followed him out of my room and into the overcast light of day. My gaze fell briefly to the west, towards Seattle. Towards Bella. I wondered how her classes were going for her after having so little sleep this weekend. Despite the fact that I'd managed to lull her to sleep quite early last night, she'd woken up this morning long before the dawn.

_"You don't know what you're asking." My voice had remained soft as I stared intently at the edge of her pillowcase. _

_ "I think I do."_

_ "Bella, you don't know. I've had almost a century to think about this, and I'm still not sure."_

"Son, are you coming?" Carlisle called from the lawn, three stories down. His face was a mask, however his thoughts betrayed the concern he felt for me. I leapt over the railing and was at his side running in less than a second. Carlisle always did his best to keep up with me. In truth, he was the second fastest out of all of us. I had always teased that it was simply because he'd had to keep up with me after he changed me.

_"Do you wish Carlisle hadn't changed you?" Bella asked._

_"No, I don't wish that... but my life was over. I wasn't giving up anything."_

_ "And you think I will be."_

_ "I know you will be."_

"You must be quite overwhelmed, son. You haven't heard a thing I've been thinking, have you?" Carlisle's voice brought me back to the present. I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, no."

"Is it anything you care to share with me?"

I sighed and slowed a bit. We were well out of range of the house now. "I don't even know where to begin."

Carlisle stopped running altogether just as I did. "Well, start with what's upsetting you the most right now."

_"I can't do it, Bella. I won't curse you to an eternity of night. I won't take away your life."_

_ "You won't have to. I'm not asking for it now, but..." She paused. "Someday my life will be over anyway. With my luck it will be sooner rather than later. Either way, you'd only be hastening the inevitable, Edward."_

_ "No, I won't."_

_ "You're wrong. I am going to die." _

I groaned and pulled at my hair while my father watched me carefully.

"It's a tie," I finally admitted.

"Between?" Carlisle asked.

I breathed a sigh. "She's going to die."

He nodded and waited for the rest.

"That, and I'm afraid I'm never going to be enough for her."

_"Bella... please. I don't want to argue with you anymore."_

_ "Then don't," she said, looking up into my eyes. "Just... think about it."_

_ "I have thought about it. Would you like me to lie to you and tell you that I will anyway?"_

_ She sighed and buried her face in my shirt again. "No."_

_ I held her close to me and played with her hair for a moment before she pulled back and sought out my eyes. _

_ "Where does that leave us?"_

_ "I believe it is called an impasse." _

_ "I'm not going to forget about this."_

_ I sighed and brushed her hair back behind her ear. "I know."_

_ "You're going to have to change your mind."_

_ "I won't."_

_ She closed her eyes. "I'm going to get old. We won't be able to stay together."_

_ I kissed her briefly. "I'll always be here for you."_

_ "It's not the same thing."_

_ "Bella, you're my whole world now. My reason for being. I will do anything you ask, save one. Is that not enough?"_

_ She sighed. "Enough for now." _

"What makes you believe you won't be enough for her, son?"

"She wants things from me I can never give her. I won't condemn her to this life, Carlisle."

"Not all of us believe as you do, son. Perhaps she feels differently as well. What are her motivations?"

I shook my head. "I don't really know. She _says_ she wants to be with me. But she also says she wants to be my equal. What she doesn't seem to understand is that she will always bring more to me than I could ever give her in return. And that's the crux of it right there. She gives me everything just by breathing, but there are so very many things I can never give her."

"I won't patronize you by saying that this is untrue, but you can provide for her... care for her... protect her and love her."

"I can't give her a normal human life, Carlisle. I can't grow old with her. I can't live with her as her husband for any length of time at all. I can't give her children. I can't even..." My voice fell off as this one concern was far too private for me to voice out loud just now.

"I see," Carlisle responded, filling in the words unspoken in his head. _You cannot be with her intimately._

I shook my head and sat in a heap on the forest floor.

"Is this something of great importance to her?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. We never got past the whole 'I want you to make me a vampire' thing."

Carlisle chuckled and knelt beside me. "Have you asked her if she wants any of the things that you're so worried about not being able to give her? Have you shared your fears with her?"

I frowned. "No. Not in so many words."

"So you're assuming to know what she wants out of life in addition to assuming what she wants from you."

"I know she wants me to change her."

Carlisle's eyebrows raised in surprise, matching his thoughts. _Well, that's not exactly what I meant, but still unexpected. Does she know what she's asking of you?_

"Of course not. How can she?"

My father smiled gently. "She's spent the last five years in the company of the Quileute wolf pack, Edward. I would think that what, if anything, she has heard of being a vampire is not very complimentary. Perhaps she knows something of what she is asking you. Then again, perhaps not. Either way, if she has asked you for this and Alice has seen it come to pass-"

"I will not let that happen! I cannot!"

Carlisle frowned at me. "Son... you may not have a choice."

I growled and stood, pacing once again to rein in my frustration. I didn't want my own inner turmoil to bubble over as anger directed at my father. "There's always a choice," I reminded myself and him.

Carlisle leaned against a tree and watched me for a long time, his thoughts careful.

"I think you should bring her here. She should meet our family. Surely she has many questions, things you haven't explained yet, and then perhaps you will both have a better perspective. Your choices, along with hers, affect us all now."

"I know," I sighed. "I do want her to meet you. As my girlfriend, I mean. I know you've all met her before in Forks."

Carlisle chuckled. _Girlfriend... I never thought I'd see the day._

"I know it's different. It's not really the right word, but there isn't one for what she means to me, Carlisle."

"I know."

"I was going to ask you and Esme if Sunday would be a good day, but when I got home Alice was waiting for me."

"Alice may have mentioned something to Esme about it yesterday. Your mother is already planning for her visit."

"Oh," I said, confused. "I hadn't realized."

"I wasn't so much suggesting you bring Bella here, more like concurring with the decision you already made."

I chuckled and Carlisle smiled crookedly. He took a deep breath and met my gaze.

_Edward... _he began. "I know you love Bella. I see that you want to spare her the pain of this existence. But I also want to remind you that there is much joy to be found in sharing eternity with your mate. I would never condone ending a healthy and promising young life, even for love. However if, as Alice says, it is inevitable... you will have Bella forever. I know it's difficult, but try to focus on the joy of that possibility even as you do your best to preserve her humanity. You deserve to be happy my son."

~(~)~

Happiness came in small doses after that first impossibly long day. The rest of the week passed quite quickly as Bella was absurdly busy with school and work, and there was little time for her to pick up the conversation that we'd seemingly agreed to put on hold. Every so often, I could see her thinking about it as she looked into my eyes, but something always held her back from bringing the issue up again. A fact I was thankful for.

In addition to Bella's sudden and frightening interest in immortal life, there were also the issues of Victoria and the werewolves to worry about. The former seemed to have gone into hiding since the day we'd been scouting for her. Alice saw little of the newborns either, but enough to know that the media would be getting wind of the story soon. We were going to have to act and it was difficult getting the wolves to commit to coordinating with us. Alice was sure they were going to go off on their own and make the situation worse, but there was little we could do to stop them. We'd kept up our end of the bargain.

Unfortunately, they were not being as noble. I'd been stopped by Embry in the park after leaving Bella's apartment the day after she'd returned from Forks. For the most part, he was genuinely concerned for Bella's safety, but he was also jealous and had approached me out of spite. It turned out that Bella was right. Most of the pack saw her involvement with me as a betrayal.

When he'd been unsuccessful at convincing me to stay away from Bella, apparently Embry tried unsuccessfully to convince Bella to stay away from me. She'd been held up at work two separate nights, coming home over an hour after she normally did. On Wednesday she was in tears. On Thursday she was just plain angry.

On Friday, she tried a new approach and invited Embry over for dinner. She attempted to play peacemaker between us and, of course, I hadn't known he was coming over until I heard his thoughts coming up the walkway. He stayed only a few minutes, thanking Bella for the attempt to stay friends, but telling her he just couldn't eat with my stench in the apartment. Bella was too upset for us to talk about what she'd been thinking when she'd sprung Embry's visit on me without any warning. She went to bed early, but woke up tearfully a time or two.

By Saturday, the strain was wearing on both of us and as I drove back to Seattle to spend the evening with her as usual, I briefly wondered whether I ought to just wait until tomorrow to see her.

Until I heard him.

Jacob's mind was, for the most part, unfamiliar to me but his thoughts were loud and Bella's face caught my attention immediately. Through his eyes I could see that Bella looked angry and was actually shouting; something I hadn't had the distinction of witnessing prior to now, despite our disagreement earlier in the week. I hit the accelerator and changed lanes, cursing the decision to take my car tonight.

_How does she not get this? _ Jacob's mental voice shouted in his head before his words took over. The way he began snarling at her made me want to disembowel him.

"You're lying. You've been lying to all of us from the day he showed up! Now you have him in your bed! Are you fucking kidding me?"

"How dare you! You have no idea what you're talking about and absolutely no right to-"

"I can smell him, Bella! I can smell him in here. On the bed! I can smell him on _you_."

Bella's eyes flashed in defiance at the man I now officially loathed and would quite likely harm as soon as I got there. He looked down on her in disgust and bitter jealousy. The hurt behind his words and thoughts did not excuse his behavior. And what the hell was he doing in Bella's bedroom?

"So what? You had no right to come storming up here. Whatever you're thinking serves you right for muscling your way past the door and up the stairs."

"I thought he was in here! It reeks!"

"And what if he was, Jacob! What were you going to do?"

"I don't know! Kill him for touching you?"

In his thoughts I saw Bella step back from him, something akin to fear in her eyes. Suddenly I realized his vision was wavering, his thoughts warning him that he was getting too close to losing control. I floored the accelerator, barely restraining myself from damaging the car as I was still a few minutes away.

"Bells... How could you let him in your bed? I mean, we never even..." Jacob's voice was low, labored with effort to calm himself. As he thought back to a shared past full of rejection and disappointment, pain replaced the undercurrent of anger in his thoughts.

"Why are you doing this?" he whimpered, his voice still strained.

Bella wisely stepped back from him again. "I'm not doing anything. Not that you're hearing me at all..." Her voice was trembling as she took another step back and then turned to walk down the stairs. He stood watching after her, waiting until he was under control before he moved to follow her. He found Bella leaning against the counter in her kitchen.

"He's a demon, Bella. A seducer. A cursed and soulless monster. I know the Cullens are supposed to have some sort of conscience and I get why that would confuse you. Hell, I'm confused. I don't know why they're trying to help us, but-"

"AGH!" Bella threw her arms in the air. She eventually looked at Jacob, her eyes red and poofy but fierce.

"First of all, I'm not confused. I know exactly who and what he is. I also happen to know what he is _not_. He's not evil, Jake. I get that all you see is a vampire, your mortal enemy, and nothing more. But he is more... so much more. All of the Cullens are, and I am not going to stand here and listen to you bad mouth people you don't even know."

"They're not people."

"Second of all," she continued, putting a hand up and ignoring his words. "Does it even matter why they are helping you? Victoria is a danger to all of us; human, werewolf and vampire. They could have turned a blind eye and told Sam to take a hike, but they didn't. That's not who they are. And if you need it spelled out for you, they're doing this because it's the right thing to do."

_Right... that's rich. If she'd only heard the shifty explanations they gave us for all that crap about newborn vampires. _

"That's not why they're helping us, Bella. I don't know what the reason is, but that's not it. Don't think for a second that they don't have a hidden agenda."

"Shut up, Jacob. You don't know what you're talking about."

I could see Jacob's anger flare. "Like you do! Do you think he'd just tell you if they had an agenda? If they were using you or lying to us!"

"I'm not going to discuss this with you, Jake. I'm a grown woman and I'm capable of judging things for myself. I'm capable of taking care of myself. I'm not stupid, I'm not a child, and I'm not your responsibility anymore."

"You'll always be my responsibility."

Bella frowned. "No, I'm not. You're asking me to be something I'm not, something I've never been. We can't keep doing this. Especially not now. I'm with him. I choose him."

Jacob almost staggered back. Bella's words were like a physical slap to him.

"You can't do that, Bells. We're family. We're-"

"No," Bella interrupted him. "Not anymore."

"Bells, you're a part of me. A part of us. That won't ever change."

"No," Bella said, shaking her head rapidly. "No, Jake. I'm not going to get into this with you again."

"Bella..."

"Please let it go. Let me go. I'm where I belong. I'm with whom I belong."

_ No... _

"I'm sorry, Jake." She pushed past him and to my very great relief headed for the front door.

_ Damn imprinting... Damn Edward Cullen... _

With those thoughts, Jacob followed after her. "You can't choose him," he breathed, his voice nearing defeat. "You just can't... I won't let you."

I was only seconds away from her building now. The deep sorrow in Jacob Black's mind caused my anger to fade some. He was crushed. Every thought was coated in a deep-seated sense of loss. Bella looked up at Jacob, her expression pained but steadfast.

"You don't get a say. The pack doesn't get a say. This has to stop. You can't keep coming in here and trying to guard over my life like I'm a team mascot that needs locked up for my own safety. I appreciate everything that you guys have done for me, what you've sacrificed for me. I... I could never hope to convey my full gratitude to you for saving my life and watching over Charlie all these years, but..." She paused and her eyes grew watery. "You need to let go now, Jacob."

"Bella..."

"Please," she opened the door. "Just go."

"No," he stopped a few feet away from her just as I stopped the car in front of her building. "Come with me. I want you to come with me and talk to me about this. Please, Bella."

I was out of my seat and at her door in a moment.

"You're not taking her anywhere," I growled.

Before he'd even registered my presence I was inside and had Bella behind me.

"Edward..." Bella breathed.

Seeing and smelling me at the same time caused Jacob's instincts to take over. He spun around to face me and his body trembled and shifted –the hair on his head actually changing before our eyes as he went in and out of focus.

"Get away from her!" he yelled.

Bella peeked around my body and called for him. "Stop, Jake. Stop right now. Edward would never hurt me. Please don't do anything stupid. Please?"

I cringed at the tone of her voice. How could she be so tender with him when he was about to kidnap her?

"He has no right to be here," Jacob seethed. It was quite ironic since I was thinking the same thing about him.

Bella gave him a moment then squared her shoulders and stepped to my side. I anticipated the movement and refused to let her get too far from me by placing my arm in front of her waist. She grabbed it and squeezed once, but otherwise ignored me.

"Jacob, listen to me... You're the one who showed up here uninvited. Edward is here because I asked him here."

Jacob looked between us, his eyes taking in the way she was touching me. He was disgusted and jealous at the same time.

When his eyes met mine in challenge I smiled disdainfully. "You, on the other hand, have been asked to leave. I think you should listen."

"Like hell, bloodsucker!"

"Very eloquent. Do you have a habit of swearing in front of a lady? You should know that disrespectful behavior irritates me."

His nostrils flared. "What are you going to do about it? You touch me and the whole pack will be on your family so fast, they won't know what hit them."

"Well, you've just assumed that I would be killing you in that scenario, so it would be an even fight. Are you really willing to drag your brothers into a fight that may get them all killed and then leave your village defenseless against your real enemy?"

"No!" Bella shouted, even as Jacob's thoughts showed me I'd won this round of verbal sparring. Despite his irrational behavior tonight, he had a strong sense of duty and loyalty to his pack.

Jacob huffed out a breath and looked at Bella. "Relax, Bells. He doesn't stand a chance of killing me. And I'm not going to hurt him either. I hate to admit this but he's has a point."

Bella sagged behind me a little and I brought her around to my side, pulling her tightly to me. There was no doubt in Jacob's mind that I'd done it on purpose and he rolled his eyes.

"You gonna pee on her leg, too? She's made it obvious whose team she's on."

I snorted. "Yes, well that obviously did nothing to deter you. You were planning on kidnapping her, pup."

His eyes widened. "I wouldn't do that to her. I may have thought about it when I smelled you... _here_," he said, stopping to avoid revealing that he'd been in Bella's room. His thoughts were a jumble of insulting and inappropriate accusations.

"Don't," I stopped him before he could be verbalize anything. "I know exactly where you thought I was and what you insinuated when you spoke to Bella earlier. You're lucky I don't rip your tongue out."

He narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, well considering where you've obviously been spending your time lately, you're lucky I don't rip-"

I snarled loudly. "Do not finish that statement if you value your life!"

I knew my display had terrified Bella when I saw her jump slightly at the sound, but there was no I could stand for what Jacob Black had been about to say. Surprisingly, she placed a hand on my stomach in what seemed to be a comforting gesture.

"Guys, stop..." she said, imploringly me with her eyes when I looked at her. "Edward, stop goading him. And Jacob..." she turned her gaze on the mongrel. "He's right... I asked you to leave."

"Bella..."

"I think we both need to cool down before we try talking again."

"Bells... come on," he whined.

She stopped him. "You hurt me tonight, Jacob. I need some time to decide how to deal with you. I love you and you're important to me, but I'm _in love_ with Edward. If you still want anything to do with me in the future, you're going to have to accept that."

Jacob cringed. "I can't do that."

"Then I guess we're done here."

"Bella, please don't do this. He's not right for you. He's not even alive. How can you even stand to let him touch you?"

I growled low enough for only Jacob to hear and his eyes shot to mine. "That's enough," I warned him.

He sneered at me, a thousand different comebacks running through his head. Unfortunately, I didn't see what he'd decided on saying until it was already coming out of his mouth.

"Don't think I won't fight to protect her from you, leech. I may have to wait until after this damn army of Victoria's is taken care of, but I will not stand by and let you corrupt her."

"I said that's enough, Jacob," I growled, but it was already too late.

Bella stepped forward, looking between us with wide, horror-filled eyes.

"Wait... What _army_?"

I reached down and took her hand; there was no going back now.

"Please don't be frightened, but... Victoria has some help."

~(~)~

Twenty minutes later, Bella sat on her living room sofa staring straight ahead. I knelt in front of her waiting for her to speak. She was eerily silent, barely breathing and quite frankly beginning to frighten me as the signs of shock became more evident.

"Happy now, mongrel?" I growled at a pacing Jacob.

He snorted. _Yeah, my every dream come true. Watching my girl terror stricken and in the arms of a fuckin' vampire. _

I finally couldn't take it anymore; I needed to give him something to do before I hurt him.

"Maybe you could make yourself useful and get her something to drink," I suggested. "Look for juice or something with sugar. She may be going into shock."

He stopped pacing and narrowed his eyes at me. "Fine," he grumbled before stomping off.

"Just breathe, Bella," I said, turning my attention back to her and ignoring Jacob's thoughts for now. I placed my hands on my love's face gently and brought our foreheads together.

Jacob returned a moment later with a can of Coke and a glass. He sneered at the sight in front of him but said nothing, which was a good thing considering he seemed to care more about the fact that Bella was letting me touch her than the state of her physical or emotional well-being.

"Why don't you let me try?" Jacob suggested as he poured the fizzy drink from the can into the glass. "If she's in shock, we need to keep her warm not turn into a Popsicle."

He had a clear mental image of holding Bella in his arms and it was my turn to snort. "I don't think so."

But damn him... he had a point.

I reluctantly released Bella's face go only to pull a blanket off of the back of the sofa and wrap it around her shoulders. Jacob tried to hand the Coke to her and she vacantly took the glass from him.

"Come on, Bells... say something. It's not that big a deal," Jacob said, sitting down on the coffee table.

I shot him another pointed look.

"What he means to say," I added. "Is that there is nothing for you to worry about, love. Just try to relax and drink some. Please."

Bella shook her head absently and then took a single drink. She lowered the glass and scrunched her face up, meeting my gaze finally as she broke her silence. "Seven... there are seven of them now."

"And there are seven of us. Fifteen with the wolves," I answered immediately.

"That's not enough. You could be hurt... or worse."

"That's not going to happen. The newborns are likely being taught that the wolves are their enemy. They won't be expecting to fight their own kind. It will throw them into confusion and give us the advantage."

"Yeah," Jacob added haughtily. "It'll be easy enough that all Pretty-Boy here will have to do is make sure the redhead doesn't get away again."

I groaned as Bella immediately shot her eyes up to him. "Easy?" she spat. "You think it will be... easy? Do you think this is a game, Jacob!"

"Come on, Bells... of course not, I just-"

"Then don't patronize me!" she shouted, practically slamming her drink down on the coffee table next to him and stepping over me.

Jacob and I both stood, moving apart as Jacob tried to defend himself from Bella's anger. "I'm not trying to patronize you. I just don't want you to worry. We can handle this."

"Right," Bella snorted. "Of course you can. 'Cause it was just sooo easy when it was only her." She gave him a look I'd never seen before. "You do realize that there are more of them now than there are of you?"

Jake rolled his eyes. "Actually, there are eight of us now. And anyway, with the Cullens helping us we've got a two to one advantage over them, so..."

She crossed her arms over her chest and gaped at him. "You're not serious?"

"Uh... yes?" Jacob asked, genuinely confused by her question. I chuckled under my breath.

Bella went in for the metaphorical kill.

"You come here and tell me I have no business being with Edward. That I can't trust him. That he's using me or lying to me. And the whole time you're telling me that, the truth of the matter is that _you're_ using _him_."

"It's not like that," Jacob shot back.

Bella glared at him. "It's exactly like that. He's not good enough to be my boyfriend –to be treated like a human being –but he's good enough to help keep you from getting your ass killed."

"He's not a human being, Bella! He's a monster."

"Well, if that's the case then so are you." Bella's face was cold, her tone steely.

Jacob stilled. "Apparently I'm just not the right kind of monster for you. Is that it?" His voice had lost its fire.

Bella looked somewhat remorseful and closed her eyes. "Look, I'm sorry if my choices hurt you. I never wanted for that to happen. But if you're willing to trust the Cullens with your life, don't stand over there and judge me for trusting Edward with mine."

Jacob said nothing to that. He stared at Bella and tried to think of anything he could possibly say to change her mind. He thought about kissing her to see if that would spark a reaction, but without even a snarl from me he seemed to stop himself from thinking too long about it. In his mind I saw a brief flash of an angry Bella slapping him for trying that once before.

Eventually, Jacob decided to go. Without a word, without even a goodbye, he walked out of the apartment and broke into a run. Bella followed behind him and closed the door, leaning her forehead against the frame for a moment before turning back to me.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She nodded and walked to me, wrapping her arms around me for a long while. I sighed and held her close, stroking her hair tenderly.

I was feeling a little self-satisfied that I was the one who got to stay with Bella when she released me and gazed up into my eyes. From her expression, I knew immediately that something was wrong and suddenly I wasn't so smug any more.

"What is it, love?" I asked.

Her eyes flashed and she shook her head as she backed out of my arms. "Why, Edward? Why didn't you tell me?"

~(~)~

The next morning, Bella was quiet while she ate. She'd slept well considering everything that had transpired the night before, but now that she was awake she seemed to be anything but rested. Her face appeared peaceful on the outside, but her eyes told a different story.

"We don't have to do this today, Bella."

She looked up at me from her cereal bowl. "Yes, we do," she said simply. She went back to her breakfast without another word.

"There's no rush."

"I'm not rushing. It's fine."

"But you don't seem like you're terribly excited about going, love."

She shook her head and swallowed the small bite of food in her mouth. "I'm meeting your family. Of course I'm excited."

"Bella... You've barely spoken this morning."

She sighed and set her spoon down. "I don't know what to say."

"You're still angry with me."

"What? No," she answered, jerking her head up. "Of course I'm not, Edward. I was never angry at you. I overreacted to the situation. I was scared and you kept something from me."

I reached for her hand and took it in mine, squeezing gently. "I know. I'm sorry."

She squeezed back and smiled sadly. "I don't like that you tried to prevent me from finding out about the newborns, but I can understand why you did it. I was really freaked out."

I kissed her palm. "You were. How are you feeling now?"

She sighed and shook her head, her throat bobbing once before she spoke. "Still scared. I could lose everybody I've ever cared about. Past and present."

"That won't happen, sweetheart. We'll make sure of that."

"You and Jacob were about to tear each other apart last night. Are you really going to be able to be around him after that?"

I smiled a little. "For you, I'd deal with anything. What's one obnoxious werewolf?"

Bella laughed once quietly and ran her thumb along the inside of my palm. The feeling of it almost distracted me entirely from her voice. "He had you pretty riled up. What he was thinking?"

"Nothing more than what's to be expected. He loves you and hates me. We're natural enemies."

"I'm sorry," she said, ducking her head.

I used my free hand to lift her chin. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

"I feel like this whole thing is my fault. He wouldn't hate you like that if he hadn't had to spend the last few years hunting a sadistic vampire. The sadistic vampire wouldn't have been out to destroy him if he hadn't had to save me from her mate. And of course her mate never would have-"

"Bella, stop," I said, my voice firm. "This is not your fault. If there's one thing that Jacob and I can agree on it's that. How many times am I going to have to tell you?"

Bella sighed and pulled her hand from mine with a slight smile. "Maybe I'll believe you when this is all over, but until then I'll feel responsible."

I stood up and went to her, pulling her to stand and wrapping her in my arms. "You're being ridiculous." I kissed the spot behind her ear.

She smiled and slid her hands from my shoulders into my hair. The gesture caused me to growl softly and though it was too low for her to hear, the glint in her eyes told me she may have felt it.

"Well, ridiculous or not you're taking me to meet your family today."

"Are you sure?" I asked one last time.

"I am. It's important to you, and to be entirely honest, I'm a little curious about them too. I'd like to see what they're really like. You know... when they're not pretending to be human."

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into," I teased.

"Well then... you'll just have to protect me, won't you?" she smiled.

"Mmm..." I hummed, lowering my head to nuzzle her hair. "I look forward to it."

She laughed and shook her head, turning it to the side and reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss me once. "Me, too."

"Are you sure you're not still upset with me?" I asked one last time.

"Yes. Just don't keep things from me anymore though. Okay?"

"I'll try not to."

"Edward..."

"It's my instinct to want to protect you, Bella."

"Yes, protect... not shelter. I'm not a child."

I smirked and leaned close to her lips, trying to distract her. "You most definitely are not a child. Maybe a helpless little lamb..."

"Oh, shut up," she giggled, kissing me again more thoroughly. Before things could get too tempting however, I pulled away and took her hand in mine.

"Alright, little lamb. Off to the lion's den we go."

~(~)~

* * *

_**Chapter End Notes: **_

_Again, my apologies for the delay & for weird formatting. That aside, this chapter ended up being a little different than I planned but as you can see, Jacob would stay quiet no longer. Please leave a little review and let me know what you think of him. ;-)_

_Also, thank you to all of Santa's elves who helped make my Christmas wish come true! 525 Reviews- Woo Hoo! I truly appreciate each and every one. Thank you so very, very much! :) Ginnie  
_


	23. Chapter 22: The Cullens Part 1

**Disclaimer****: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other entities and brands are the property of their respective owners. The original content, ideas and characters of this story are owned by Virginia May, May 2010.**

_**A/N: ** Hi Everyone! Insert the standard excuses for the update fail here. I have had some writer's block, some technical difficulties, and some real-life issues as well. Hopefully, updates will come more regularly now, but I'll feel better about saying so after I get another chapter or two completed in a timely fashion. I also apologize for not replying to your reviews as frequently as before. The response to the last two chapters was absolutely phenomenal and there have been 123 new reviews since then! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank go as well to the usual suspects and few other friends: **Katmom, Susie** (aka Linguist), **farawaymomo**, the girls (and guys) on **Writer's Central **on the** Twilight Lexicon**, and each and every one of **my HH sisters**- I would still be stuck if it weren't for your collective support. And finally…_

_~To my husband, for leaving me the laptop when he went out of town: I know you won't get this, but... Would that I could, I would write my own lullaby for you. I love you, baby. ~_

_Now on with the show!_

~(~)~

* * *

"**THE CULLENS"**

"You're nervous."

"Yeah, but who wouldn't be?" she shrugged, her smile growing. "Did you see 'Meet the Parents'? That guy had my kind of luck and it definitely didn't go well for him."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "How old were you when that was released?"

"I don't know, thirteen?" she answered sounding uncertain but happy.

I chuckled. "Well, not to worry. I can promise you nobody will be hooking you up to a polygraph machine or trying to force you to play water polo today."

Bella giggled. "Thank God for that."

I found myself laughing again as I turned onto the nearly hidden drive that led to our family home. I felt Bella increase her hold on my fingers the moment the trees thinned so that the house was visible.

"This is it?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," I answered, watching her take it all in from the corner of my eye.

It was by far one of the newest homes we'd ever acquired. From the front it stood three stories tall, a palace of stone and glass taking notes from the craftsman style. It was nestled into retaining walls made of large boulders that were filled with lush landscaping beds which created a terraced path to the front door.

I parked the car on the circular drive in front of the house and tried to ignore the mental greetings of my family to concentrate on Bella.

"This is incredible, Edward." All signs of nervousness seemed to have vanished.

"You're incredible," I whispered and winked at her.

Bella's breath caught for a moment before she was able to exhale. She shook her head at me and smiled. "And you're ridiculous."

Her eyes danced back to the house, around the open expanse of lawn behind it, and then to the mountains beyond that. "I didn't realize you actually lived _in_ the mountains. I can see why you guys would want to live out here. It's beautiful."

I smiled. "It's private. Privacy is a necessity for us, but it has its perks."

"Apparently."

"Is that another house over there?" she asked pointing across the lawn. There, behind and to the west of the house was an outbuilding in the same style as the house.

"It's actually the garage."

"You're kidding."

"No," I chuckled.

"It's big enough to be a house, Edward."

"Would you like to see it a little later? I have to admit it's somewhat excessive, but we put it to good use."

"I'll just bet you do," she laughed.

"Are you ready then?" I asked, smiling.

She looked around once more time. "As ready as I'll ever be..."

I was out of my seat and opening her door before she had finished taking off her seatbelt. She laughed quietly as she stepped out of the car. "I'm still getting used to that."

"I'm sorry. It's too easy to be myself around you. Especially here. Our home is the only place where we don't have to hide."

"Makes sense," she said thoughtfully. I took her hand and led her up the shaded stone walkway. We didn't make it more than ten feet before her foot caught on a flagstone and she tripped. Of course I had ahold of her before she could fall, but she was scowling as I pulled her to me.

"Leave it to me to find the one loose stone on the walkway," she mumbled.

I laughed. "Well, maybe you just needed to get that out of your system."

"Let's hope so," she said, looking up.

"Don't worry. I've got you," I whispered, lowering my mouth to her ear and causing her to shiver.

"Okay," she said, closing her eyes. The look of complete trust on her face was almost enough to distract me from the rush of thoughts coming from my family as they listened to our exchange. Almost.

_You guys are so cute! _Alice squealed mentally. She was watching us from their second floor window and when I shot her a disapproving glare, she stuck her tongue out and showed me a few visions of the rest of the day. I tensed a little as they looked to be more private moments with Bella. As I led her through the front door, I begged Alice to mind her own business for the next few hours.

"Wow," Bella breathed, regaining my full attention.

Her soft voice carried through the foyer, an open area that consisted of a large staircase ascending to the higher levels and a doorway that led to a smaller set of stairs descending to the garden level basement. Bella looked up, her eyes following the light streaming in from the third floor skylight. Her gaze then seemed to follow the staircase down as she inspected the various pieces of art that lined the walls along the way before taking in the rooms on either side of us.

"The living room," I pointed out the room to our left. "And dining room."

"You have a dining set," she stated.

"We do."

Bella looked up at me with an amused smile. "Why?"

"A part of the illusion. We have all manner of kitchenware and food in the pantry as well."

Bella laughed quietly and walked into the dining room, immediately going to the table and sliding her fingers along the wood.

"Do you like it?" I asked, noticing my parents watching us from the kitchen. I motioned them over as Bella unknowingly admired Esme's handiwork. She'd restored it herself a few decades ago and it continued to be one of her favorite things.

"I've never seen anything like it. It's lovely," she answered.

"It's Esme's pride and joy. Well, it's one of them," I said quietly, moving to stand behind Bella and placing my hand on the small of her back to steady her. She stayed focused on the table as I continued. "I'm sure she'd love to tell you about how she came upon it sometime. Wouldn't you, Mom?"

At my question to Esme, Bella's head shot up and she let out a small sound of surprise. I slid my hand into hers and gave it a gentle squeeze as I introduced her to my parents.

"Esme, Carlisle... this is Bella."

"Welcome, Bella," Carlisle smiled.

"Nice to see you again, Dr. Cullen," Bella answered politely.

"It's good to see you too. Please, call me Carlisle."

"Carlisle," she smiled and then I saw through my father's eyes how she looked to Esme with a slightly awed expression.

"This is my wife, Esme."

"Hello, Bella," Esme smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, dear."

Esme's greeting was warm and kind, but inside she was as nervous and excited as I'd ever seen her. She extended her hand to Bella carefully and was thrilled when the brave girl at my side took it without faltering.

"Thank you, Esme. It's wonderful to meet you too. You have a beautiful home."

"Thank you. It's wonderful to finally have you here. Edward speaks so highly of you."

"Mom..." I complained, feeling Bella's blush from where I stood. Their amused thoughts revealed that they found both her color and my chagrin endearing, though Carlisle found himself marveling at my control as well.

_Remarkable..._

I shook my head imperceptibly as if to say, "not now."

"Is there anything I can get you after your drive?" Esme asked, clearly changing the subject and hoping to make Bella more comfortable.

"No, thank you. I'm fine."

"Well, you let us know if there is anything you need."

"I will, thanks."

Carlisle smiled at Bella and wrapped his arm around Esme. "We'll let Edward show you around a bit and introduce you to the rest of the family as well. It's truly lovely to have you here, Bella."

"Thank you, sir."

"Just Carlisle," he reminded her.

"Carlisle," Bella repeated with a nod.

"So..." I said when they had gone. "You survived."

Bella leaned against me a little more and exhaled. "I did."

"They like you."

"They're very nice. Beautiful, like you."

I smirked and shook my head. "Also part of the illusion. Come on, I'll show you the rest of the house."

Bella was relatively quiet and kept hold of my hand as I showed her around the common areas on the entry level. In addition to the dining room and living room, there was a large kitchen that took up most of the back of the house. It had long glass doors that opened out onto the back deck and was often bathed in sunlight. A short hallway led to Carlisle's study, also on the back of the house, and a small bathroom. Returning to the foyer, I pointed out the stairs that led to the basement where our family room held a large television and every home entertainment and game system imaginable.

"Video games…" she mused.

"Do you play?"

She made an indecipherable face. "Ah, no. You?"

"Occasionally."

She seemed surprised, so rather than think too long on why that was, I changed the subject.

"The second floor is divided almost equally between my siblings. Rosalie and Emmett share the east side of the floor, while Alice and Jasper share the west half."

I didn't mention the specifics to Bella, but originally there had been two bedrooms and bathrooms on each side of the second floor that had since been converted to each couple's particular tastes and needs. Esme and Carlisle had taken the slightly smaller third floor, which Esme then had divided and remodeled to make room for me. They'd given me a small suite with a bedroom, ensuite bathroom, and small den or sitting room. Not that I needed so much space. Truthfully, the extra room was still completely empty.

"Carlisle and Esme's room is on the third floor, along with mine."

"Is that something I will get to see?" she asked shyly, a beautiful flush of color warming her cheeks. I couldn't help but chuckle softly and run the backs of my fingers over their heat.

"A little later. Someone wants to see you first," I said, my eyes lifting to the staircase where my sister and brother now stood waiting. Bella's gaze followed mine.

"Oh," she breathed.

"You remember Alice, of course. And Jasper as well."

She took a deep breath and nodded, her heart speeding up a little. I wondered if it was fear or something else that caused the reaction. I also wondered what she was thinking for at least the thousandth time in twenty minutes. My only clue was the small smile she wore as she stepped forward to greet my siblings.

"Hello."

Alice didn't even let her get the word out before letting go of Jasper's hand and moving at her full speed to hug Bella. She'd kept her mind focused on Bella's eyes and nervous smile up until the moment she moved in order to prevent me from seeing her plan.

"Hi, Bella! I've missed you!" Alice exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Bella carefully. Though not carefully enough for me. I stiffened out of concern, but also from having no idea as to how Bella would react to Alice's advance. I was surprised when she started laughing.

"Hi, Alice," she giggled.

Alice let her go and they stared at each other a moment.

"You look exactly the same. You should be older now."

"I am, and so should you," Bella said, clearly amused.

I relaxed a little, and not just because Jasper was doing his best to keep the mood in the room as peaceful as possible.

"I really have missed you, Bella. And I'm so glad you're here. We have so much to talk about and you have to tell me everything about the last five years."

"Alice…" I groaned.

"It's okay," Bella answered, shaking her head as though something confused her. She looked back at Alice. "I _think_ I missed you too. Is that weird?"

Alice's answering smile could have lit up New York City. "Not at all. I've been waiting a long time."

"Alice, be careful what you say," I said too low for Bella to hear.

She subtly rolled her eyes at me. "We're going to be good friends, I promise you." Her words were as much to me as they were to Bella.

Bella nodded her head, the most adorable expression of exasperation or wonder on her face. I wasn't sure which.

Jasper noticed me watching their exchange and met my eyes.

_She seems bewildered and a little anxious. But happy._

He used his gift to make Bella feel more at ease and moved to stand behind Alice keeping a wide berth between him and the only human in the room. I nodded my gratitude for his cautiousness.

"Hello, Bella," Jasper said softly.

Bella looked up at him and smiled. "Hi, Jasper. Nice to see you again."

"You too."

Bella and Jasper shared a moment when her ever insightful mind cued her into the fact that he was using his ability on her. Through his thoughts I could see her eyes light up in comprehension and he winked at her.

"Well, now that we're feeling all warm and fuzzy, why don't we go sit in the living room and get caught up?" Alice suggested.

Bella looked back over her shoulder at me. "That's okay with me," she said quietly. I smiled and gestured grandly.

"Ladies first."

Bella laughed and stepped forward only to have Alice link arms with her and nearly trip her in the process.

"Alice..." I hissed.

_Oh, hush... I had her. She's fine. _

However, we got no more than four steps into the living room when Bella gasped. I was on full alert for a moment, especially when Alice started masking her thoughts, but then I saw Bella turn and point to the corner of the room.

"Is that yours?" she asked, indicating the black-lacquered parlor grand sitting on a platform.

"It is," I answered quietly.

"Wow," she breathed. I noted with some amusement that she'd been saying that a lot today. Suddenly Bella's brow furrowed and a look of displeasure passed over her lovely features.

"What is it?" I asked as Alice released her arm and stepped back.

Bella met my eyes apologetically. "You're really slumming it when you're at my apartment, aren't you?"

"Slumming it?" I asked her not because I didn't understand the phrase, but because I didn't understand why she would use it in this context.

Bella sighed. "Yeah, well... my piano must seem like such a piece of junk compared to this."

"It's not a piece of junk," I answered defensively. "It's been well-loved and has quality where it counts –on the inside."

"Thanks to you."

"Yes, thanks to me," I grinned. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't criticize my hard work. Your piano holds a special place in my heart."

"Why?" she asked sincerely.

"Because it's yours," I murmured.

Bella's face flushed with color. I chuckled and kissed her temple. Sighing, she wrapped her arms around my waist. She continued to stare at the piano and I looked down to see her biting her lip.

"Would you like me to-" I began.

"Will you-'" she said at the same time.

We laughed together quietly. I intertwined our fingers and lifted them to my mouth, placing a small kiss there. "You were saying?"

"Play for me?" she asked timidly.

"I'd be happy to."

_ We'll be upstairs, Edward. You two take all the time you need, _Alice thought purposefully as she and Jasper disappeared in silence.

Bella and I made our way to the large instrument. She stood awkwardly at first, not sure where to sit. I pulled the bench out and motioned for her to sit next to me. She did so with a smile.

I hesitated for a brief moment before my fingers found the melody of one of my own compositions. When I heard Esme's delight coming from upstairs, I smiled.

"This one is Esme's favorite."

"She has good taste. It's beautiful."

"She's glad that you think so."

"Can you hear them all, even now? Their thoughts, I mean."

"Yes."

"Where did Alice and Jasper go?" she asked, just now noticing that we were alone; as alone as we could be in a house full of vampires anyway.

"They're upstairs. I think they were trying to give us the illusion of privacy."

"Can they hear what we're saying?"

"They can," I answered.

"What are they thinking?" she whispered conspiratorially.

I laughed heartily.

"Well, first of all, since they heard that, they're a little amused... but they're off in their own little bubble right now. Like I said, trying to give us a modicum of privacy." Bella's eyes widened a little and as chewed on her lip.

"And everyone else?" she whispered after a moment. I smiled.

"Well, Emmett and Rosalie are out, but should be home later this afternoon. Carlisle is reading and marveling at how well you seem to be taking everything. And Esme... Well, Esme is still on cloud nine because you seemed so genuinely happy to meet her."

"I was... or am," Bella smiled. "She's like meeting a fairytale in the flesh. I just want to hug her and have her tell me stories."

I laughed as did everyone else, though Bella wouldn't have been able to hear them.

"She's more than willing to comply anytime you like. Though, I think I'll be selfish and keep you mostly to myself for today."

Bella smiled and fell quiet as I transitioned to playing her lullaby, softly first and then building in emotion. I noticed immediately that the air between Bella and I shifted when the familiar chords rang out.

"You hum this sometimes... at night."

I smiled. "It's supposed to be a lullaby. You inspired it."

Bella inhaled rather sharply and her exhale was shaky. "You... you wrote this?"

"For you."

"Oh, Edward..." She stopped breathing and I panicked, turning to her immediately.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head and dabbed her eyes, exhaling the breath she'd been holding.

"Are you crying?" I reached for her face, wiping the tears from under her eyes. "Are these happy tears?"

"Yes," she laughed, placing her hands on her cheeks over mine. "Yes, these are happy tears."

I smiled and lowered my forehead to hers. "Good," I sighed. "You scared me."

"Sorry... I guess I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed."

"I'm sorry, love. What can I do to help?"

She laughed. "Stop being so perfect at everything."

I smiled bashfully. "I will try..."

She laughed. "I was kidding. I love you just the way you are. Overzealous perfectionism and all."

_How sweet..._

_ Perfect for him..._

_ Overzealous perfectionism... Good one..._

The thoughts of my family were a little loud, but I tried to tune them out. Bella lifted a hand to the keyboard, her fingers lightly touching the keys. She moved them a little, positioning her hand so that her thumb was on middle-C. I watched her feeling oddly fascinated by the sight of her small hands where my much larger ones had just been.

"C, right?" she asked, smiling up at me.

I nodded, but said nothing. She looked back down at the keyboard and placed her middle finger on the E, then her pinky on the G, and pressed down.

"I think maybe I should leave the playing to you," she said when her pinky slipped and depressed the wrong key.

I chuckled and placed my hand next to hers. "We'll work on it."

She laughed and shook her head. "In the privacy of my own home maybe. Not here where there will be witnesses to my horrendous lack of talent."

Wordlessly, I lifted my arm around her and moved my legs so that she was seated in front of me.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked, her heart beginning to pound.

"Playing for you," I grinned and I meant it quite literally. "Put your hands on top of mine."

She did as I asked and I began playing Debussy, albeit very slowly. Bella left her hands limp on mine at first, but I could tell that she was watching closely and felt as her muscles twitched and began to follow my movements. The second time through her fingers slowly molded to mine and she began to move in sync with me. Well, almost...

A few times we got our fingers tangled up, or her hand slipped off one of mine, or I missed the notes because I'd been distracted by her nearness to me. Every time we made a mistake we laughed and at one point I was in near hysterics when a whispered curse slipped out of her mouth.

"This doesn't sound as complicated when you listen to it," she almost growled.

"I don't think it was meant to be a duet," I joked.

She started to pull her hands away so I immediately turned mine over and caught them. Twining our fingers together, I pulled her back against my chest and rested my chin on her shoulder.

"That was fun," I whispered in her ear. She sighed and tightened my arms around her.

"It was," she said quietly. "Thank you."

We sat together long enough for Carlisle and Esme to grow curious about our silence, and when my father silently began wondering about what liberties I'd taken in the last few weeks with my human girlfriend, I decided it was time for us to get up.

"Would you like to see more of the house now?" I asked, loosening my hold on Bella a little.

She tilted her head up and back to look at me. "Okay."

"Okay, then..." I stood and helped her off of the piano bench.

It took us ten minutes just to climb the stairs, stopping every couple steps to talk about some of the artwork lining the walls along the way. Having finally reached the top, Bella and I stood in front of the large wooden cross that once belonged to Carlisle's father while I explained its origin.

"And he kept it?" she asked.

"For the last three-hundred and fifty years. Give or take a decade," I smiled nervously as Carlisle chuckled inside his room.

Bella looked at me. "Is there an average age for vampires? I mean, three centuries seems like such a long time to me."

I was shocked by her question. Her inquisitive mind never failed to surprise me, but sometimes more so than others. "I asked Carlisle that same thing about six months into this life," I mused. Even as I spoke, he was remembering it too.

"Well?" Bella asked.

"So insistent…" I smiled. "We don't really think anyone's ever bothered taking a survey, but in Carlisle's experience our family is very young."

"_Very_ young?"

"We have friends who have walked the earth for many centuries. The Italians Carlisle once lived with have existed for two millennia."

Bella paled at my words.

"Does that upset you?" I asked, still wondering what would finally do the job. Surely, she couldn't take everything about the existence of monsters so coolly. Surprising me yet again, she breathed a laugh and shook her head.

"I'm not sure."

I frowned.

She placed her hand on my forearm. "I promise to tell you if something does."

I smiled at her, accepting her offer and directing her down the hall until we stood just outside of my bedroom. And even though it had only really been my room for a little over six weeks, I couldn't help but be nervous about what Bella would think.

"Um... so, this is my room," I said softly.

Bella smiled and walked in ahead of me, stopping at the approximate center of the room and turning slowly to look around. She smiled further at the wall of music on the western wall and then at me.

"I'm not surprised by this," she said, turning to the custom shelves Alice had designed for me before my arrival. She reached up and ghosted a finger along one row of CDs, taking in the titles. She asked about how they were organized and nodded thoughtfully when I told her.

"What's in the CD player right now?"

I grinned and went to the sound system to turn it on. She continued to look up and down the wall of jewel cases while we waited for the disc to begin playing.

"Jazz?" she asked.

"Would you prefer something else?"

"No, this is fine," she answered going back to inspecting the room. She paused in front of the bed and tilted her head to one side.

"Is this..." She looked over at me. "Do you ever use this?" she asked.

"Not really, no," I answered amusedly.

"Huh...So it's like the table then? Just here for show."

I smiled. "I suppose, but I've never actually had a bed in any of my rooms before. I was gifted with this one as I am told it goes with the room."

_It does. _Esme and Alice thought almost simultaneously.

"It's nice," Bella commented and walked around it to get to the book shelves. She chewed on her lip and stood with her hands on her hips as she took in the titles there. I smiled at the sight of her.

"Some of these are in the original language," she murmured, pulling _Les Miserables_ out and opening the tome carefully. It was fairly old, a fact she seemed to know instinctively as she handled it. I enjoyed watching her facial expressions as her eyes scanned the text. "Did you actually read this... in French?"

I felt a certain amount of embarrassment in admitting that I had.

"That's amazing, Edward. What about this one..." she put _Les Miserables _back on the shelf and reached up one higher to remove a weathered volume of Tolstoy that read, _Война и мир_, on the cover.

"I've had lots of time to learn languages and read books," I explained as she opened it.

She looked up at me with an expression I couldn't quite understand. "But… Tolstoy in actual Russian?"

I grinned and joined her, taking the book from her hands. "And French as well. Have you read _War and Peace_?"

Bella snorted. "No. Never."

I chuckled and turned the page to a specific passage. "Tolstoy wrote the bulk of it in Russian of course, but the entire first paragraph is in French, as are many of the lines of dialogue. See..."

"Mmm... And you can read both of course."

"As I said... I had lots of free time on my hands before you came along. I had to find some way to pass it." I put the book back on the shelf only to find Bella staring at me when I turned back around. "What is it, love?"

She smiled and took a deep breath. "Nothing."

I went to her and took her hands in mine. "Nothing? You promised to tell me."

She shook her head. "I'm just feeling a little… small. Insignificant, I guess."

"Mmm…" I nodded, deciding how to give her some perspective. "Well, you're the biggest and most significant thing in my life. In my entire existence. That's something, I hope."

Bella smiled, embarrassed, and leaned her head against my chest. "Yes, there is that," she said with a nervous chuckle. I felt the heat of the blood in her cheeks and the warmth of her breath even through my shirt.

"Would it help if I told you that you are fairly important to my family as well?"

Bella looked up, her face dismayed and curious all at once. "Why?"

"Because they never thought this day would come. They'd almost given up hope, as had I, that I would find you. And then when I left, and later realized how I cared for you, they saw both my agony and the strength of my conviction to keep you safe from us."

Bella pushed away from me and turned, walking to the open doors that led out onto the balcony. She leaned against the frame and took a deep breath.

"Do you ever think that maybe you shouldn't have done that? We could have been together all this time," she said quietly. "Don't you regret wasting these last few years?"

"Bella, love," I said lowly, moving to stand at her side. I ran the back of my hand down her cheek and then turned her face towards me. "I cannot regret letting you live a normal life. I only regret that my absence may have caused you pain, or put you at risk."

I used my thumb to gently trail a path along her jaw, down her neck, over her collar bone, shoulder and arm until I reached her wrist. Wrapping my fingers around it, I lifted it to my mouth to place a small kiss there over her scar.

Bella's face flushed again and her heart steadily beat faster, as I gazed into her eyes with undisguised adoration. I might have continued trailing kisses along her skin, had I not seen her shiver or heard Jasper chuckling downstairs.

_I'm not used to feeling those emotions coming from _your_ room, Edward. _

I cringed internally at the intrusive thought and slowly stepped away from Bella. She took my hand and followed me back inside. She stopped after a few steps to inspect the empty sitting room as we passed it.

"What's this?"

"It's a sitting room. Or a den, or an office... I'm afraid I haven't done much with it."

"Why not?"

"Lack of creativity. Maybe you'd be willing to help inspire me."

"Oh, I wouldn't have a clue," she stated, walking towards the bay windows that framed the eastern and southern walls of the room. "The trees are so close. It's like I imagine having a tree house would be."

"What else do you imagine?"

She shook her head. "I don't know… nothing exciting. Maybe a desk? An extra chair for reading in?"

"Something comfortable, no doubt." I liked the idea of Bella curled up here with a book.

"Well, yeah…" she shrugged. "Comfortable is good."

"Duly noted. What else?"

She turned and eyed me speculatively.

I chuckled. "You're giving me ideas."

"Uh-huh," she said, raising an eyebrow. "That's what I'm afraid of."

"Bella, you're absurd," I laughed. She rolled her eyes and stepped around me.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know, I-" Her voice cut of sharply.

"What is it, love?"

She walked back into the bedroom and over to where my desk sat in the far corner, cluttered with my journals and several other odds and ends. I'd left my favorite pen sitting on top of the most current volume.

"Do you write?" she asked softly.

"On occasion."

"Hmm…"

"What are you thinking?"

"I write too. Sometimes. But not with pen and paper." She smiled wistfully. "Everything's on the computer. Or I guess it's on my back-up drive now."

"I hadn't realized that."

"I haven't kept up with it a lot since you came back. I haven't needed to."

"Why not?"

She sighed and stayed silent for a long time, her eyes focused on my desk as a shadow passed over her face.

"Bella?"

"I… I haven't had so many crazy dreams since you started staying with me. I sleep better."

"Oh." I recalled Embry asking her about her dreams and how she'd mentioned them, or rather yelled at me about them, once before. "And that's what you would write about? Your dreams?"

"Yes. Sometimes."

"Why?"

"Well… the dreams weren't always pleasant. They weren't always bad either, but if I'd ever said anything to anyone outside of La Push about the things that haunted me, they would have locked me up. So I wrote about them. It was my therapy I suppose. And believe me, I probably needed therapy."

Her words hurt me to hear. I'd had some part in what plagued her no doubt.

"Will you tell me about them?" I asked.

Bella inhaled sharply. "I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Please, Bella. You can talk to me. There's no reason for you to keep things like that to yourself anymore."

"You know what you should do with that room?" she asked suddenly. "It would be a really great place for you to sit and write."

"Bella…"

"Well, at least I think it would be. I'd love to have a place like that to sit and read, or write."

I frowned, but went along with her diversion. "Would you now?"

"Definitely."

"Do you plan to do much writing after you graduate?" I asked, an idea coming to mind.

"I hope so. That's sort of the point of my degree," she answered.

I nodded and decided that I was going to dedicate the empty room in question to making a space here for Bella. I only wondered how I could best make the room hers.

"You know, that reminds me. I don't actually know your plans for the future. I've asked you a couple of times, but you've managed to derail me every time."

Bella laughed. "I promise you, it's not on purpose. I just honestly don't know. I had thought maybe…" She paused and sighed. "I really don't know."

"And what of your education? Will you be continuing it?"

She sighed again. "I've taken my GREs and applied to a couple of graduate programs, but I'm still completely undecided. My decision is dependent a good deal on finances of course, but some of is just lack of drive. Worst case scenario, I'll continue on at U Dub for graduate school while I work. At least I have a decent job."

"Bella, I find it hard to believe that you have no drive. You seem very driven to me. Perhaps you just lack direction."

She rolled her eyes. "Semantics, Edward."

"Okay, so if you could do anything, what would you want to do with your degree?"

She hesitated for only a moment, searching my eyes for something. "I think I'd like to try my hand at writing. I thought I could get a job doing copywriting. I enjoy it and I can write just about anything I am assigned." She stopped and embarrassment colored her face. "I didn't mean that to sound…"

I lifted her chin. "It didn't. And you shouldn't be ashamed of your talents."

She shrugged. "I'm not really that talented."

"I disagree. Your women's history paper was riveting."

"Oh, I'm sure it was," she said sarcastically.

I chuckled. "But you received a nearly perfect mark, didn't you?"

She shrugged again.

"Well, there's one way we could settle this," I said.

"And how's that?" she asked.

"Write something for me. Or show me something else you wrote, something other than what you've written for school."

Bella's eyes widened immediately, her face paled and her pulse steadily increased. "Uh… no. No, no, no."

"Why? What's wrong?"

She turned red. Really red. "It's just not a good idea."

"Why not? I'd love to know what-"

"You won't like it."

I frowned. "Why would you say that?"

She pulled away from me and I let her go.

Jasper directed his thoughts towards me. _Back off a little, Edward. She's extremely anxious and embarrassed. _

Embarrassed? What in the world did she have to be embarrassed about?

Bella walked to the end of the bed and stood there for a moment before turning and sitting down.

_Be patient. She just needs a minute. _Alice's mental voice accompanied a quick image of Bella talking to me while we sat on the end of the bed. I walked towards her and sat cautiously at her side.

It wasn't long until she began speaking, her eyes focused on the floor.

"I thought I would never see you again." She paused and took a deep breath. "What I wrote, I wrote for myself… and it hardly even made sense to _me _half of the time. Knowing what you were, but never being able to tell anyone? Not even Jake? I mean… Sure, he knew the stories, but I couldn't burden him with making them real. I didn't know he was actually living them until much later. And finding out that my closest friends were huge werewolves really didn't help matters."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, first of all I had to get attacked and nearly eaten to get that knowledge out of them, and second, seeing Jake like that just led to a whole host of new nightmares. I had to do something to keep myself from going crazy."

"Oh, Bella…"

She smiled sadly and took one of my hands in hers, playing with my fingers as she continued.

"It all turned out okay. I found a creative outlet for dealing with the supernatural in my life. I just don't know if that's anything I want you to see."

I closed my eyes and nodded. "I understand."

"Do you?" she asked, releasing my hand and reaching up to touch my cheek.

"I do. It may drive me mad not knowing, but I understand."

She smiled and took a deep breath. "Maybe I'll be able to show you someday. Maybe there will be a time where I'll need you to understand and you can read my writing. But right now… the thought terrifies me." She laughed sardonically. "You keep waiting for me to run away screaming, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, if you could see inside my head, I'm pretty sure you would be the one running away screaming."

Laughter filled the room and the rest of the house. Bella slid her hand to the back of my neck and pulled my head down, touching her nose to mine. I kissed her chastely and then pulled her across my lap, cradling her in my arms.

When the restless and curious thoughts of my family became too much to ignore, I stood and set her on her feet. "We have a little more house to see, and apparently, I am being selfish with your time."

Bella's eyebrows went up.

I smiled. "There are two of my siblings still waiting to see you."

She made a face and the depths of her brown eyes communicated her anxiety clearly. At the moment I knew exactly what she was thinking.

_Rosalie. _

"You'll be fine," I said softly.

"Easy for you to say," she whispered. "You're her brother, she has to like you."

I laughed. "I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"Not helping, Edward."

I kissed her temple. "Well, why don't we just go get this over with then. I do believe you wanted to see the garage anyway."

Bella looked confused.

"My sister spends a good deal of her time there. It's her own personal playground."

"Well, maybe we shouldn't invade her territory then."

I chuckled and started walking backwards, pulling Bella along with me. "It was her pet project when the family bought the property here and it's quite impressive. Just act properly awed and you two will get along fine."

Bella smiled weakly but threaded her fingers through mine. A moment later a look of determination settled across her features and she stood up as tall as her petite frame would allow.

"Alright then… Let's do this thing."

~(~)~

To Be Continued…

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**End Notes:**

_So, yes… the chapter ran long & I was excited to get an update to you, so I've split this up. Part 2 is well underway, and the next update should be within the week. :D_

_Additionally, I've finally posted the first outtake from What Drives Her. (You may remember way back in Chapter 7 or 8 that I promised you guys some extra scenes and alternate POVs from the story?) Well, it was a tie between Emmett's POV leading up to his fateful phone call to Bella, and the story of Bella and Jessica's friendship. I've completed Emmett's outtake first and you can find it on my profile under, **"What Drives Her: Outtakes and Extras"**. I have also written a bonus chapter with Bella and Jacob's story that will post when it won't spoil anything coming up in the next few chapters. ;-)_

_Lastly, I've been nominated for the first time ever for an award in fanfiction. The Twinklings blogsite is hosting the **Walk of Fame Awards **and I'm up in two categories! I've been nominated in the "**Little Miss Modesty" **category for** Author of the Best Fic Rated Under "M",** as well as in the **"Rising Starlet" **category for** Most Promising Author**!_

_I cannot tell you how incredibly honored I am, and I want to thank the individual(s) who nominated me from the bottom of my heart. I'm just amazed._

_If you are so inclined, you can vote between now and January 31st at **http : / / twinklingswfa. blogspot. com/ **I'm sure that many of your other favorites are up for awards and honors too, so be sure to check it out!_

_Big Hugs, Ginnie_


	24. Chapter 23: The Cullens Part 2

_**A/N:**__ Hi Everyone!_

_ So, "within the week" was off by a few days. Sorry about that, but I hope you enjoy the chapter. It is told from Bella's POV. Thank you to **Katmom** and **Susie** for beta'ing. Thanks also to **farawaymomo, Lulu** and **april09** for pre-reading and offering advice. :-)_

_**Disclaimer: **__The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. All other characters, settings, lyrics, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise or automotive company. The original content, ideas and intellectual property of this story are owned by Virginia May, May 2010. No copyright infringement is intended._

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"**The Cullens- Part 2"**

Seeing where and how the Cullens lived was nothing like what I expected. Not that I knew what I expected, but somehow it wasn't this.

The house itself was huge. It was both elegant and imposing, and yet had the appearance of being warm and welcoming despite the daunting perfection of the structure. The inside was just as striking, but the family of vampireswho lived there made it feel as if it were the most average home in America.

_Right… like the average American home has a baby grand piano sitting on a platform in the living room, or three floors full of relics and artwork that tell the life story of an almost four-hundred year old patriarch. _

Needless to say, the experience so far had left me slightly mystified.

After we left his room, Edward led me downstairs and through the kitchen where wide glass doors opened out onto a deck that ran along the width of the back of the house. Calling it a deck however was almost a travesty as the word conjured up images of worn, splintering wood and rickety railings. The Cullens' deck had stone columns, a railing of intricate ironwork, and rich colored wood that looked well cared for. From it you could see down over a large slope of a lawn, an area that was as large as some of the parks in Seattle. At the bottom there was a wide, winding stream and on the other side of the rock-lined streambed were tall trees that marked the edge of Snoqualmie National Forest.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Alice's voice called out from over my shoulder.

I jumped and placed my hand over my racing heart as Edward hissed something I couldn't understand.

"Sorry," she immediately apologized.

"No, it's okay," I answered.

She smiled and cocked her head to one side, her eyes looking past me for a moment. I could have sworn I heard Edward growl, which caused me to turn and shoot him a questioning glance.

"Alice saw that Emmett was going to hug you," he explained. "He won't try it if he knows what's good for him."

From off in the distance I thought I heard some kind of shouting, though I couldn't make it out. Alice started laughing quietly and explained. "I think Rosalie will keep him in line."

I must have paled a little at the mention of the one member of the Cullen family who truly intimidated me. The death glares I got from across the high school cafeteria back in Forks were not forgotten.

"Oh, don't worry, Bella," Alice said quickly. "Everything goes fine between you two. She's not going to pretend to be thrilled with the situation, but she'll be cordial to you."

I blinked once and opened my mouth to ask her how she could be so sure about that, but then remembered who I was talking to.

"Thanks, Alice."

"No problem. I'll see you back here for lunch with Esme and Carlisle."

As if she'd been summoned, Esme appeared in the doorway. She smiled warmly.

"Hello dear, are you having a nice visit so far?"

I knew she'd probably heard everything that had happened since I arrived and was just being polite, but I appreciated her thoughtfulness.

"Everything's wonderful, thanks."

"You're very welcome," she answered. "Before you go on outside, I wanted to ask you what you'd like for lunch today."

"Oh. You don't have to-"

Alice interrupted. "We have all your favorites. Are you in the mood for turkey and avocado on rye, or just a salad today?"

I felt my eyebrows scrunch up. Apparently it wasn't just my wardrobe that Alice had been spying on.

"Uh… turkey I guess."

"Very well. If you change your mind, just let us know," Esme said sweetly.

"Thank you," I replied, wondering if Alice would just see it if I changed my mind and tell Esme. I was just about to ask her that when Alice laughed.

"Probably… but I never know with you," she said winking. She then disappeared inside the house in a flash.

I looked up at Edward and back at where Alice had been.

"Bye, Alice," I murmured.

Tinkling laughter came from above us. "See you later, Bella."

"I'll see you in a little while," Esme smiled, also disappearing very quickly and quietly.

"Shall we?" Edward asked, gesturing towards the steps at one end of the deck.

I smiled and nodded, taking his hand and trying to calm any lingering nerves. It irritated me that just the thought of Rosalie Hale made me feel like I was back in high school all over again. I needed to channel the person that I was at work every day. The Bella who had learned how to deal with intimidating people, especially the ones that tended to dismiss me in that environment because I happen to be a woman or younger than they are.

As we approached the end of the deck and the stairs, I glanced up and caught my first good look at the Cullens' garage.

_Holy sparkling vampires..._

It was incredible. Just a few hundred yards away from the house was what looked to be a very stylish, but modest one-story, three-car garage. Except that it was anything but modest. Much like the main house, the building had been built into a steep grade, which allowed it to have a lower level. The bottom floor housed an additional two-car garage and was accessed by a small gravel drive in the back that snaked around a small hill and up to where I assumed it eventually joined the main driveway.

"Wow…"

Edward chuckled. "Rose is very good with cars. Taking care of them is one of her hobbies and she put a lot of thought into designing the garage as well."

"I can see that," I said in awe. It sure as hell beat the pants off of Jake's old garage in La Push. Heck… it probably beat the pants off of our set-up at work. Maybe if Mr. Meyers ever decided to remodel the service department he could hire Rosalie.

I amended that thought to include remodeling the Ravenna Volvo showroom as well when Edward opened the doors on the front side of the garage and led me inside.

"So this is the main level where we store our vehicles," he said while flipping on lighting that was worthy of an art gallery. The sleek fixtures shone down on shiny epoxy floors, custom cabinets, and walls painted the perfect shade of steely blue-grey. "We have room enough in here for six cars and a motorcycle or two." Edward pointed towards one end of the massive space where two expensive looking sports bikes sat in the corner.

"Do you ride?" I asked, grateful for something to say other than '_Wow_'.

"I can, but no. Those belong to Jasper and Emmett." He was completely still a moment and then met my eyes with a wary look. "Have you ever?"

"No," I laughed. "Charlie would have killed me for trying."

Edward smiled and nodded his head. "I think I'm going to like Charlie."

I frowned, pursing my lips. "Very funny."

He smirked. "I'm sorry, love, but the idea of you on a motorbike is just..." His voice trailed off as a myriad of emotions played across his face before he settled on one, "...horrifying."

"Okay, now you're just being mean. Not that I can imagine anything in the world making me want to get on the back of one those things, but still..."

Edward laughed and was suddenly right in front of me. "What if it was with me? And a helmet? I might be able to live with the idea then."

"With the way you drive? No thanks."

He chuckled and a loud guffaw was heard from the floor below us. The sound drew my attention to the stairs in the corner opposite the motorcycles. I'd almost forgotten that Emmett and Rosalie were supposed to be here. Edward raised an eyebrow, most likely at the way my heart suddenly raced with the realization that we were not alone.

"I think you've made a friend," he said smiling his crooked smile. "Ready to say hello?"

I rolled my eyes. Like I would say no? Was he trying to get me in trouble with his siblings?

I smiled as convincingly as I could and nodded. As we passed by Edward's Aston Martin on our way to the staircase, my smile became more genuine as I remembered the way he just rolled back into my life in the most unexpected way. Apparently, my reaction to the car didn't escape his attention and he tugged on my arm gently, pulling me to a stop in front of it.

"You'll have to tell me sometime how it was you knew what kind of car I was driving when I showed up at the Volvo dealership that day. You surprised me."

I laughed. "I knew you were going to ask me that at some point."

"Did you now?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Well?"

"James Bond."

"James Bond?"

I laughed. "Yep. Pierce Brosnan. _Die Another Day_. 2002, I think." He looked completely astonished so I explained. "The boys in La Push made a game out of knowing the Bond cars. Sort of like how some men quiz each other over baseball trivia, except they did it with James Bond. Specifically, all the different cars used in the movies. Embry even knows how most of them were destroyed."

"And you got into this game too?"

"Not so much. But I paid attention."

"So if I asked you what sort of car 007 drove in _Goldfinger_?"

I inhaled and thought about it for a moment. It was one of the older films I hadn't seen, but I vaguely remembered Jake and Embry discussing it. "Um, wasn't it was another Aston Martin? 'B' something?" I asked.

His answering smile was brilliant. "It was a D_**B**_5. I used to have one of those years ago." He shook his head, his face softening into a look of tenderness. "You never fail to amaze me, Isabella."

I blushed profusely and took a slightly staggered breath.

Edward chuckled and thumbed my cheek lightly. "Come on, Bond girl. Let's go play car trivia with Emmett. He's doing the equivalent of screaming in my ear to get me to bring you downstairs already."

"Yes I am, and I'm not going to keep doing it too!" A loud voice yelled up the stairs.

Edward rolled his eyes at his brother's declaration. "We're coming, Emmett."

I smiled and squeezed Edward's hand as we walked towards the spiral staircase, because let's face it –a normal set of steps would be just too... _normal_ for this family. I laughed at my own thought, but instead of Edward looking at me curiously as I was now accustomed to, his brow was furrowed and his eyes had grown tight. It took me a moment to realize he must have been listening to something that someone else was thinking. A moment later his mouth moved in the almost silent way it had earlier today when I assumed he'd been saying something to Alice that was undetectable to my ears.

"I'm sorry about that," he murmured not a second later.

"It's okay. I cannot imagine how you deal with it all."

He smiled wanly as we started down the stairs. "Some days are easier than others."

"And today?" I whispered.

"It's okay. They're trying to be careful. All of them... except my big brother,"

We'd reached the lower level of the garage and there, sitting on the floor holding up an SUV, was Emmett. He smiled and waved, obviously not needing both hands for the task. I'd forgotten how large and imposing he was.

"Bella, you've met my brother Emmett. Emmett, you remember Bella."

"Hey you..." he smiled. "I really would hug you, but you already know I'm not allowed."

I laughed at his greeting, but Rosalie –who I'd only now noticed lying under that car with just her legs sticking out- kicked him.

"That's why you're holding the car up," she said sharply. "Pay attention before you drop it on me."

Emmett rolled his eyes and lifted the chassis of the vehicle higher. "Better?"

"Yes, thank you," Rose responded.

"Rosalie, Bella's waiting to meet you," Edward said, his tone cool.

"We've met before. I'll say hi when I'm done," she replied.

Edward tensed next to me. I shook my head at him. "Don't worry about it," I whispered before turning back towards her. "Hello, Rosalie. What are you working on?"

There was nothing but silence for a few seconds and then an exasperated sigh. "I tore Emmett's Land Rover apart after the stunt he pulled when he called and set you up to contact my brother. Now I'm trying to put it back together. Not that it will ever be the same, but it's something to do."

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. Something about her frank response obviously bothered him.

"Well, it looks pretty good now," I said, ignoring him. "Though, I'm sorry if I caused any trouble between the two of you."

She snorted a laugh. "Not just between the two of _us_. Try the whole family."

"Rose..." Emmett admonished. Edward seemed to growl at her as well, though it was more the vibration I felt rather than hearing the sound of it. I stayed silent as he rubbed my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. He whispered apologies in my ear before leading me away from his siblings and pointing out the features of the workshop that Rosalie had designed for herself.

Honestly, the place was better outfitted than the service department at Volvo. Everything I laid eyes on was professional grade, from the diagnostic system sitting on one of the counters, to the wrench sets that lined the walls, and of course the hydraulic lift that was currently not being used thanks to Emmett's apparent need to be kept busy. I wondered idly if Alice had seen him squish me, or just Edward freaking out about it. I sort of decided I didn't want to know either way.

"So..." Emmett asked when we came back around from our impromptu tour. "How does our little garage stack up?"

I smiled. "It's pretty impressive. I actually think you're better outfitted here than we are at work. And it's cleaner in here, too."

"Of course it is," Rosalie said, rolling out from under the Land Rover and sitting up. Just as I had forgotten how large her husband was, I'd also inaccurately recalled how beautiful she was.

Her facial features were more striking and inhumanly lovely than I remembered. Her long golden hair was smooth and shiny, and braided intricately in the most alluring way. A few loose wisps hung near her face and made her appear more ethereal than she did already. Even her clothing was perfect; dark jeans and a fitted black top were paired with suede boots that anyone else would have been insane to wear under the circumstances.

As I struggled not to gape at the sight of her, I noted that she was moving her hands and I thought she might have been wiping them on something red. That is, I was pretty sure that's what she was doing. To my eyes the motion was a blur. A moment later she held up a small towel and showed me her hands. I stared, slightly amazed at both how clean they were and how fast she'd been moving.

"Humans are too slow and too lazy to get the oil and dirt cleaned up before it sticks," she remarked.

I nodded, but instead of taking offense to her comment, I simply added to it and engaged her in the topic. "Edward says your eyesight is better than ours as well. I guess that means you can see the dirt and oil that we can't, yeah?"

She narrowed her eyes just a little, but nodded an affirmation.

"Oh, and there's this too..." Emmett said, putting down the SUV he was holding up once Rosalie was out of the way. He ran his hand up under the chassis and when he pulled it back it was covered in black smudges. Standing, he looked at me Edward uncertainly.

Edward nodded and placed both hands on my shoulders. I swallowed when I realized Emmett meant to approach me. Sure, he was Edward's brother, but he was huge... at least as big as Jacob and I definitely got the feeling from him that I should be intimidated, despite how pleasant he was.

"I won't touch you," he said softly, either sensing my unease or responding to one of Edward's concerns. "Just swipe your finger across the grime on my palm."

My eyebrows shot up questioningly, but he just smiled, dimples and all, and held his hand out. I did as he suggested and watched amazed as the dirt and oil came off almost as though his hand were a piece of non-stick cookware.

"Whoa..." I said, noting the trail of clean unmarked vampire skin in the place where my finger had been. I looked at my hand and saw the way the oil had already settled into the lines of my fingerprint.

"Our skin is impenetrable. Makes it easier for us to keep things clean around here," Emmett explained.

I laughed a little. "I guess so. But... What about me?" I wiggled my dirty finger at him.

"Oh," Emmett said.

Rosalie scoffed. "Now do you see why we don't trust you 100% of the time? You don't think things through all the way, Emmett."

"Well, why didn't you or Edward stop me then?"

I started to interrupt and tell him it was okay, but Edward was faster.

"Because I knew what you were going to do and you gave Bella the choice. As for the dirt, it's not as if she's never had oil on her hands before."

I turned my head to see his face and he appeared almost... proud?

Rosalie's terse voice kept me from thinking too much on that though. "There's a sink over there," she snapped. "Try not to make a mess."

I forced myself to glance back at her, refusing to let her see how she intimidated me. "Thanks," I said, offering her a small smile. She shrugged and rolled her eyes.

Edward walked with me to the sink and turned the water on. I washed my hands quickly, taking a moment to scrub at the oil and grime on my forefinger. He smirked and reached in to stop me.

"Let me see."

"Why?"

"My eyesight it better than yours, remember?"

I chuckled under my breath and surrendered my hand. His cool fingers rubbed at the tip of my finger and then he placed it under the water to rinse. When it was clean, he dried it for me as well.

"There, all better," he said.

"You're ridiculous," I told him for the second time in the same day.

"You like me ridiculous," he answered. I smiled, but his tone had surprised me. He seemed lighter now, less intense. I tilted my head to one side, trying to decipher the change.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly, not forgetting that we had an audience.

"I'm perfect."

I raised a teasing eyebrow. "And modest too..."

"That's not what I meant. I just meant," he sighed and briefly glanced to the side, towards his siblings. "I like having you here. I feel... relieved."

I smiled and looked down, blushing as I always did. _Stupid involuntary response... _

Edward chuckled, and again, it was a much lighter sound than I was used to hearing from him. I still felt as though I was walking on eggshells with his sister, but something had obviously transpired in the last couple minutes that I wasn't aware of. I tried to think back over every little detail of my visit to see if I missed the moment that had resulted in this new version of Edward now standing before me.

"Yes, Emmett. Sheesh..."

_Huh?_ I blinked rapidly and looked from Edward to his brother, then back again.

"He wanted to know if you're finger passed inspection," Edward said, seeing my confusion. "He was being a smart alec."

"Oh," I answered. The next thing I knew he was making yet another statement that made little sense to me.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no," Edward said.

Again, I glanced from him to his brother, but Emmett just shook his head and pointed his thumb towards Rosalie. Rose was staring at Edward, but met my eyes when I looked at her.

"I was wondering if he brushes your teeth for you, too." She smirked and looked back at Edward. This time when he responded to whatever she was thinking, his mouth moved too fast for me to know what he'd said. She laughed and glanced at me again.

"He's so damn touchy. I don't know how you can stand it. Maybe I do need to improve my opinion of you."

My mouth popped open a little, which earned a smug smile from Rosalie as she turned and walked out of the open garage door behind her. Emmett watched her go, but stayed put and looked back to me quickly.

"So can we talk James Bond now?" he asked. "I vote for a movie marathon, myself, but it's up to you. You're the guest, Bella."

I stared at him for a second and then looked after Rosalie again. As if he sensed my hesitation, Edward slid his hand into mine.

"Don't worry about her. That actually went better than any of us expected."

"Really?" I asked, both relieved and horrified. Emmett nodded and smiled apologetically.

Edward lowered his voice and spoke close to my ear. "She's was surprisingly kind in her thoughts towards you. Humility and grace are not her strongest qualities. Neither is holding her tongue."

Emmett muttered something and shot Edward a look before speaking to me. "Rosie doesn't take to outsiders well," he explained. "When we met the Denalis a few years back, she was a real bitch, especially to those females. I mean, you should have seen–"

"Emmett..." Edward hissed.

Emmett smiled and held his hands up. "All I mean is... She would never admit it, but I think Rose sort of likes you."

"I wouldn't go that far," Edward grumbled, wrapping both arms around my waist from behind. I frowned at him over my shoulder as if to say, "Thanks a lot."

He smiled disarmingly and kissed my temple. "Just don't be disappointed if she keeps her distance from you. That's Rosalie. You have to ignore her. "

"Are you sure? I don't want to –" I began.

"She'll be fine."

I looked at Emmett. "He's right."

I nodded.

"So..." Emmett grinned. "Let's talk my favorite Bond car of all time. 1999, _The World Is Not Enough_. Do you know it?"

"Are you kidding me? That's the easiest one."

"I thought your favorite was the Lotus," Edward cut in.

"It used to be. I changed my mind. And don't interrupt."

I shook my head at them and smiled. "It was the BMW Z8, and it got cut in half by a helicopter." Edward smiled at me with that somewhat proud expression again and I shrugged. "That's Embry's favorite too."

"Who's Embry?" Emmett asked. I answered him, which resulted in another question, and then another, until it seemed that I would have to recount the entire history of my life and friendships in La Push standing there in the Cullens' garage.

"So you've been on the reservation a lot then?" Emmett asked his fifth or sixth werewolf related question in a row.

"Enough, Emmett," Edward sighed.

"Sorry..." he said sheepishly.

"It's okay," I answered.

"Actually, Bella," Edward cut it. "It's well after noon. You must be hungry by now."

"I'm okay," I shrugged. Though, now that he brought it up, I was slightly surprised to feel my stomach start growling. "What time is it?" I asked.

"Past time for you to eat," Edward frowned, letting go of my waist.

I shook my head at him. "I'm fine."

"Come on, I'll run you back. We'll be in the kitchen in a flash."

"Wait a second..." I stopped him from slinging me on his back. "If you're expecting me to eat, then I'm going to have to decline a ride. I really don't want to throw up today."

Emmett started laughing loudly while Edward's brow furrowed. "Right. Of course, I wasn't thinking."

"You know, little brother... You don't have to show off all the time. You could just run at a normal pace," Emmett chimed in.

"Oh? What? You mean at your pace?" Edward said, grinning.

I giggled and then broke into full out laughter as Emmett boxed Edward's ears and then waggled his eyebrows at us before taking off across the lawn. Edward chased after him and I watched as they zipped this way and that, almost completely disappearing at times to my eyes.

Almost as soon as they were gone, Alice blurred into focus almost right in front of me.

"I don't care how old they get, boys are immature," she announced.

"Hey, Alice," I smiled.

"Hi, Bella. Edward will meet us at the house, okay? I think he needs to run off a little steam." She must have seen the question in my eyes. "He was pretty nervous about today," she clarified.

"So was I," I said, my smile fading a little.

"It's gone perfectly," Alice reassured me. "Just like I told him it would, I might add. But I have to admit... You surprised even me, Bella, winning over Rosalie like that."

I was slightly stunned. "I did?"

Alice laughed brightly. "Sure you did. You didn't back down when she tried to intimidate you, and you liked her garage." She linked her arm through mine and pulled me close to her side. "Rose would never admit this," she whispered. "But she gets some sort of smug satisfaction knowing that the girl Edward picked has at least one thing in common with her."

"What, cars?" I asked, not quite following her.

"Yes, silly."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say I'm a gearhead or anything, I just-"

"Close enough, Bella," she interrupted. "Take your blessings where you can get them. Not everyone has an instant in with Rosalie Hale."

"Instant? Did you go to the same high school I did?" I asked sarcastically.

She put her finger up to her lips and shook her head. I blushed instantly realizing she meant that Rosalie could hear us.

"Things aren't always the way they seem on the surface, sweetie. You should know that better than anyone," she said. I stopped walking and looked at her curiously. She rolled her eyes and pulled me towards the house. "We'll talk about it when I take you shopping tomorrow."

"What? Shopping? For what?"

Alice laughed and pulled me along. "For Jessica's wedding gift, of course. And while we're at it, you're going to tell me the whole sordid story of how that freaking friendship ever got started. Okay?"

"Uh, okay, I guess."

Alice gasped. "Oooo... you've got all the juicy gossip, I love it!" she shouted.

I laughed, assuming she'd had some sort of vision of what I would undoubtedly end up telling her. I'd gathered from Edward that Alice usually got her way.

As we walked, with the boys still nowhere in sight, I took an opportunity to ask Alice something I'd been wondering about for the last few minutes.

"Alice? Can I ask you a question?"

She sighed. "Yes, of course. But Edward will be disappointed."

"Why will he be disappointed?"

"He was hoping you'd forgotten or glossed over Emmett's slip-up."

I stopped walking again. "Was I not supposed to wonder who the Denalis were?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, of course not. It was Emmett's mistake for mentioning them."

"Why was he not supposed to mention them? Who are they?"

"The Denalis are another family of vampires. They're like us in that they hunt only animals. And I think that Edward was just worried about further involving you in our world by telling you about them. Though, I think it's a moot point. Especially considering whom you've been keeping company with for the last five years."

I sighed. "Not you too."

"Yes, me too. Do you have any idea the kind of damage they can do, Bella? Werewolves are not good company to keep."

I crossed my hands over my chest petulantly. "As a matter of fact, Alice, I do know the kind of damage they can do. I've seen it with my own eyes. But... I've also seen the other side of them." I frowned and shook my head. "I just wish that you could. Then you would know."

She smiled sadly and hugged me. "I might feel differently if I could see you when you're with them. I hate it when you disappear on me."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, not knowing why I felt the need to apologize for something I had no control over and didn't even know about a few weeks ago.

Alice stood back and smiled. "I know, sweetie. It's not your fault. And I also know that we might not be standing here now if I could have seen you with them, so things are working out as they were meant to. You'll see."

"Alice, Bella," Esme's musical voice called from above us. "Lunch is ready."

Alice winked at me. "That's code for: 'You've said too much and your brother won't like it.'"

I laughed softly. "Will Edward be very upset with you for answering my questions?"

"Pshh..." She waved her hand at me. "I'll deal with my moody little brother later."

I suppressed another laugh and walked with her up the stairs to the deck where Esme was waiting and had already set the patio table for me.

"Wow, Esme... You didn't have to go to all that trouble."

She smiled kindly. "It's nothing. We never get to sit out here. Alice said she thought you would prefer it, but I laid a blanket over your chair-back just in case it's too chilly out here for you."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, dear," she hugged me and showed me to my place at the table. Just as I was about to sit down, Edward appeared with Emmett trailing behind him, his shirt torn on one side. Edward's clothing was still intact, but his hair was even more wild than usual.

"Hello love. I'm sorry I'm late," he said, kissing my cheek with ice cold lips.

"Where did you run off to?" I asked, touching my cheek where his lips had been.

"We just made a few laps around the house. I'm sorry for just leaving you like that."

I smiled and shook my head. "Don't apologize. It looked like fun. What I could see of it anyway."

Good natured laughter surrounded us and I glanced away from Edward to see that Alice and Esme, along with Jasper and Carlisle who'd appeared from nowhere, were now waiting for us at the table.

"Oh, sorry," I muttered.

"Don't apologize..." Edward whispered, echoing my words from a moment before.

"I'm gonna go find Rosie, guys," Emmett announced. "Bella, I'll see you later. More James Bond trivia next time, okay?"

I laughed. "We'll see, Emmett."

"Oh, come on. You know you want to," he crooned.

"Leave the poor girl alone, Emmett. For heaven's sake," Esme said, shooing him off into the house.

I giggled softly at their exchange as I sat and Edward pushed my chair in for me before joining the rest of us at the table. It was reminiscent of what any other normal family might do on a Sunday afternoon, except that as I looked at the single plate in front of me, I suddenly remembered that I was going to be eating alone.

_Normal indeed..._

The food was delicious, a fact that I found both a bit surprising, and at the same time, nothing less than what I expected. It seemed as though there wasn't anything these vampires couldn't do and do well. Esme told me some of her own personal story while I ate and after the first few bites I found it hard to feel self-conscious about the fact that I was chowing down in front of everyone. Though, I highly suspected that Jasper had something to do with my odd sense of ease.

Alice cleared the table when I was finished, and as Jasper rose to help her, so did I. Or rather I tried to.

"Don't be silly, Bella. Please sit. You're our guest," Esme said sweetly.

"Oh, I don't mind. You went to the trouble of-"

"Nonsense, we're already done," Alice interrupted, returning from the kitchen. I blinked at her in surprise and got another wink from Jasper, who stood behind her. He didn't rejoin us at the table, but instead hung back a bit, leaning against the beautiful iron railing that lined the deck.

"Jasper sometimes finds it difficult being too close to humans for very long," Alice explained as she retook her chair.

"Oh," I said.

"Alice..." Edward groaned.

"What? Bella appreciates honesty. Don't you, Bella?"

"Uh, sure... I mean, yes, I do. I just don't want any of you to be uncomfortable while I'm here."

"That's very considerate of you," Esme said looking meaningfully between Alice and Edward.

"So, Bella," Carlisle began, drawing my attention away from the glares and stares at the other end of the table. "I hope you don't mind me bringing it up, but Edward told us how you came to discover our secret. I must say, we were all a bit surprised to find that you knew what we were while we still lived in Forks."

I took a deep breath, blinking a few times to take in the change in topic. Edward took my hand and rubbed his thumb gently over my knuckles, his attention suddenly focused back on me.

"Well," I said slowly, chewing on my lip trying to find the right words. "I'm guessing you were no more surprised to find out I knew about you, than I was to discover that vampires were real."

Carlisle smiled. "I imagine you're right. Still... I'd like to thank you on behalf of all of us for keeping that knowledge to yourself. Edward shared with you some of the dangers that would have faced us had our existence become public knowledge, did he not?"

I took another steadying breath. "He did. Not that I ever would have told anybody anyway. That's just not the kind of person I am. Or was. Besides, who would have believed me?" I tried to make a joke.

Alice reached across the table and placed her hand over mine. Looking up at her, I realized how close to tears I'd been. "I knew you wouldn't tell anyone," she whispered, a conspiratorial smile on her face.

"Thanks," I whispered back. She removed her hand from mine and winked.

"We were also very sorry to hear that our family was not the last of your exposure to our kind once we left Forks," Carlisle continued. "I cannot tell you how much I wish there had been a way to spare you that."

I nodded and smiled halfway. "Thank you. Edward's said the same thing more than a few times."

"Yes, I know. My son also indicated that you had some questions. Would you mind if I have a look at your scar?" he asked softly.

"No, of course not. I do have a question or two."

"Or ten," Edward murmured close to my ear. I shushed him as Carlisle stood and moved to our side of the table. He took my hand in his and examined the skin over my wrist thoroughly in a professional manner.

"Well..." he said, pausing to move the skin back and forth once again. "First of all, Edward's assessment appears to be correct." He grinned at his son and released my hand. "It looks as though the scar tissue is superficial, affecting only the epidermis and upper most portion of the dermis. In fact, had venom or some other toxin not been involved, I suspect you wouldn't have any visible scarring at all."

"So the venom damaged my skin?" I asked, not understanding.

Carlisle smiled. "That's one way of looking at it. Another way of interpreting it is that the venom caused the connective fibers in your skin to form scar tissue at an accelerated rate. One of the properties of our venom gives us an advanced ability to heal. What's truly remarkable is that it failed to spread beyond the network of capillaries directly beneath your injury and continue the transformation process beyond that."

He paused and looked meaningfully at Edward. Edward in turn, moved his chin just a fraction of an inch in either direction. Carlisle met my eyes again and apologized.

"I'm sorry. I was just clarifying a thing or two with my son before I continue."

I looked up at Edward momentarily. He smiled an altogether too innocent smile and spoke smoothly.

"Carlisle believes that the venom was unable to move effectively into your blood stream because the capillaries in the skin constricted almost immediately when you were thrown into the water. The temperature in that part of the Pacific Ocean never goes much over fifty degrees Fahrenheit even in the summer. It was likely closer to freezing when you were attacked. You did mention feeling your limbs going numb."

I nodded and breathed in slowly.

Carlisle spoke again. "Of course, there is also the added factor of the salt water, which would have done the equivalent of irrigating the wound. Then again, you could simply be the first living proof we have that at least a minimum amount of venom has to enter the bloodstream to initiate the change at all. As Edward told you, it's not something that has ever been tested."

I blinked at him, my eyes wide. "Oh..."

Edward shifted next to me and I felt his arm come around me, my chair suddenly right next to his. "What's wrong, love?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. I... I guess I just realized something."

"What is it?"

"You've never heard of anything like this before have you? I mean... there haven't been very many survivors of attacks like mine to go on. Have there?"

The table became eerily still. If my eyes had been closed, I would have thought I was sitting here alone.

"Bella..." Carlisle began. "We don't know of anyone, other than you, that has escaped an attack like that by one of our kind."

I was silent a long time, my eyes fixed on the table top in front of me. I heard Edward call my name twice, but I was unable to answer.

There had been no other survivors. No survivors. But I survived. I survived. Because of Jacob. I was sitting here having this conversation because of Jake. Jake –who I kicked out of my life last week and then again last night. Suddenly, the guilt that I'd been carrying around for all these years, the guilt that compounded when I left Forks last week, had returned in full force.

I felt Edward flex his arm around me lightly and shift my chair nearer to him. I lifted my gaze to meet his and found his expression was pained; remorse evident in it that quite possibly matched my own. It caused a rush of emotion in me that I couldn't swallow back quickly enough and tears pricked my eyes even though I'd sworn I would never let him see me fall apart again like I had last week.

Edward raised his free hand to brush the tears away and ran his fingers through my hair tenderly. Brushing the strands closest to my face behind my ear, he ran his thumb over the scar on my forehead a couple of times and then down the side of my face. I closed my eyes and lifted my own hand to rest over Edward's silent heart, not caring for a moment that we had an audience. However, when I opened my eyes a minute later, I discovered that we were now sitting alone at the table.

"I know what you're thinking. Don't," Edward said softly.

"It's my fault, Edward. This whole horrible thing... it's all my fault."

"It's not. I've already told you that it's not."

"Jacob only killed Victoria's mate to save me. She's intent on destroying them because of me. Now your whole family is involved..."

"Yes, but that's a good thing. We'll handle her."

"If I hadn't been on the beach..."

"Bella, you have got to stop blaming yourself."

"But..."

"No, Isabella. Stop. If you want someone to blame, blame Sam Uley for not keeping someone behind to protect you and the rest of the defenseless humans in town while they chased after vampires. Or better yet, blame the vampire who used you to taunt those mangy mutts."

"Used me? What are you talking about?"

"Bella, love..." Edward sighed, moving out of his chair and shoving it out of the way to kneel in front of me. He took both of my hands in his and began rubbing soothing circles on them. When he began speaking again his voice was smooth and as gentle as possible. "You heard what Carlisle said. If a vampire had wanted you dead, if he'd been there to kill you, then you wouldn't be here now. You got caught in the middle of some kind of game. The male who had you had to have been toying with Jacob and Embry. That's the only explanation for why you're still alive."

I sniffled a little. "I thought it was the ice cold saltwater."

Edward smiled slightly and wiped under my eyes again. "Well, that too."

I took a deep breath. "I wish I could help."

"You have helped, love." He sighed. "You've bridged the gap between us and the Quileutes. They would have just as soon run us out of the state rather than listen to a thing we have to say, but because of you; they were willing to hear Carlisle out and accept our help. Just think of your friends and know that you've given them a chance against this threat. They wouldn't have had any idea of what was coming for them if it weren't for you."

I shook my head. "I'm grateful for that, Edward, I really am. But..." I mustered up all the strength I could find to say the words. "You should have left. You should have gotten as far away from here as possible. Please tell me you didn't stay... that you didn't get involved in this because of me... Please, Edward..."

"Bella, I couldn't bear to leave you again. The world could have been ending, I would have stayed. By the time we realized the extent of the threat here, it was too late. I would never have left you anyway, and my family would have never left me."

"Edward..."

"He's right, Bella."

I looked up at the sound of Alice's voice and found her standing just outside the open door to the kitchen. She smiled when our eyes met and walked at a human pace to my side.

"We Cullens stick together and believe it or not, you're one of us now."

"Alice, that's very sweet of you to say-"

"I'm not being sweet, I'm speaking the truth. Carlisle may have made us a family, but you've made us whole." Leaning down to kiss the top of Edward's head and then mine, she stood back and touched my cheek tenderly. "Now, stop playing the martyr and get inside to spend some time with your family before you have to go home."

And so I did. Somehow.

With what I imagined was a lot of help from Jasper, I managed to push aside all of my worry and guilt long enough to take Edward's hand and spend the rest of the afternoon goofing around with a family of vampires that were shockingly willing to accept me as one of their own. Though I was sure my sense of ease would be short lived once I returned to the real world, for today I was content enough to be a part of theirs.

~(~)~

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_**End Notes:**_

_The next chapter we are going to start moving things along at a faster pace. Thoughts? Theories? I'd love to hear from you all. ;-) Thank you for reading!_


	25. Chapter 24: Changes

_**Author's Notes:**_

_Oh, Wow! I know, it's been a very, very, very long time. Let me just say that mind readers and psychics really mess with your head when you're trying write. ;-) _

_It took me a long time to put this together simply because we are, sadly, getting closer to the end. Thank you for your patience while I worked out all the kinks in the plot so I could move forward from here.I anticipate an estimated 6-7 more chapters tops. _

_Huge thanks to __**Kathie, Susie**__,__ and __**Morgan**__, without whom this would have been a very different and far inferior chapter. I love you ladies soooo much! To __**MissP**__**,**__ thanks for the pre-read as well. _

_Hugs, Ginnie_

_

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**Chapter 24: **

"**Changes"**

The relief I felt upon gaining Bella's acceptance of my family, and their subsequent acceptance of her, was a palpable thing. For the first time I'd been able to be myself, or more accurately to just _be_ in front of Bella. To have her with me and my family all at once was unexpectedly freeing.

In the weeks that followed Bella's first visit with my family, we fell into a fairly regular routine that included spending most Sundays at the big house in Cedar Falls. The Cullen clan was eager to experience the newness that Bella brought with her into our home and she quickly developed a unique rapport with each of them. When she was with us, and when Rosalie was behaving, things felt complete. For the first time in my long existence, I felt strangely fulfilled and lacked for nothing on those quiet afternoons.

The month of May seemed to pass quickly, a mere blip on a radar screen of time –even for Bella. Of course, as swiftly as the days went by, she also regularly lamented that the month would never end. I found her perceptions quite amusing, but knowing that it was from the amount of stress she was feeling to complete her degree made it difficult to watch. On more than one occasion, I'd wanted to offer to support her in any way I could, thinking perhaps she could leave her job and focus on her studies. I didn't actually mention that to her however. I didn't need Alice telling me that it wouldn't have gone over well.

Apparently, just cooking dinner for her was an overwhelming act of generosity to Bella. She'd been stunned speechless the first time she came home from work to find that I'd already warmed one of her pre-prepared meals and made a simple salad. I merely copied the actions I'd seen her take on numerous occasions, but my effort was a very big deal to Bella who was used to being the one cooking for others. The first time I actually prepared something that she _hadn't_ previously made or frozen herself, she nearly burst into tears.

"It's the chicken picatta from our first date," she said, her voice thick and slightly awed.

"It is."

"How did you manage this? I'm not even sure I remember where I put the recipe."

"Well, a perfect memory helps," I said, trying to keep things light. "While the chef was busy talking to you, his mind was also busy giving me a play by play of his techniques."

Bella's glassy eyes widened. "That's..." She paused and a range of emotions played over her face before she settled on one. "...terrible," she laughed suddenly. "You could single-handedly destroy careers of top chefs all over the globe if you wanted to," she snickered.

I smiled genuinely. "Good thing I have no diabolical plans to dominate the world of fine dining."

"Exactly," Bella giggled.

"So... did I interpret the chef's thoughts correctly?" I asked, still waiting for her to try the food. "How does it taste?"

"Oh, sorry... I'm sure it's wonderful," she said, picking up her fork.

I smiled somewhat uncertainly as she turned her attention to the meal. The appreciative moan that escaped her as she took the first bite gave me all the answer I needed. Still, despite how much taking care of Bella pleased me, I was more than a bit relieved when she crashed through the door after finishing the last final exam of her undergraduate career the first Thursday in June.

She was in her room changing clothes so that we could spend a celebratory afternoon on our mountainside when her phone began ringing from inside her bag on the floor. The tone was a whimsical instrumental ringtone that I knew belonged to Bella's mother and was supposedly indicative of her personality. Knowing it was likely in regards to her upcoming visit to Seattle, I ran up the stairs in a heartbeat and knocked on Bella's door.

"Bella?"

"I hear it," she yelled, opening the door while still sliding an arm through one sleeve on her shirt. I tried not to notice as I handed the small device to her. "Thank you," she smiled before answering it quickly.

"Hey, Mom."

_"Hi, Baby! How are your exams going?" _

Bella waved me inside her room and then quickly turned her attention back to her mother. "Great. I'm finished. I just took the last one this morning."

_"That's wonderful, Bella. Perfect actually. I needed to talk to you about something."_

Bella's face fell ever so slightly. "What's wrong, Mom?"

_"Nothing's wrong, silly. Something came up here at the last minute though and I have to change my trip around a little. Phil has some kind of award thing here next week, so I'm going to have to fly home a day earlier than I planned. Since I didn't want to lose a day with you, I thought I'd fly in this evening. Well, I'm at the airport now, but my plane won't get in until later."_

Bella's eyes widened. "You're coming here today?"

_"Yes. Is that okay? Because if that doesn't work for you... if you have plans with that hot boyfriend of yours or something, I can just take a cab to a hotel and we'll see each other tomorrow. We'll still have all of Friday, Saturday and Sunday together."_

"No, no," Bella answered, her cheeks flaming while I bit my tongue to keep from laughing. "It's fine, Mom. You can come today. I just..." Bella looked around a little. "I haven't finished cleaning my apartment or done the shopping yet."

_"Don't worry about that. I'll help you tomorrow. I don't want to be a burden."_

"You're not, Mom."

_"Good. Now, let me go so I can get checked in and I'll see you in about six hours or so."_

Bella laughed nervously. "Wow, six hours. Sounds good."

_"See you soon! Love you, baby!"_

"Love you too, Mom. Bye."

Once the call was disconnected, Bella sighed. "Well, there goes the rest of our day. I have to get this place put together. I know she said not to, but-"

"Can I help? I've been told I move very fast." To illustrate my point, I picked her up and flew down the stairs as fast as I could with her in my arms. "We'll be done in no time," I said, grinning as I set her down.

"Okay... you're a crazy man, first of all," she said, trying to catch her breath. "And second, I don't want you cleaning my apartment."

"Bella..."

"No, we've been through this. I'm the human, I make the messes. I can clean them up."

"You're so stubborn," I sighed.

"Yeah, well you would know," she smiled, sliding past me and heading for the kitchen.

When I caught up to her, I turned her around and walked her backwards slowly. "Please let me help you?" I asked, lowering my voice to a persuasive tone.

She blinked hard and put her hands on my stomach, pushing against me futilely. "Um, no?" she said, her voice shaky. The feeling of her hands on me reminded me of how little I would get to see her this weekend and suddenly, I was just a normal teenage boy who wanted his girlfriend all to himself a bit longer.

"Please, Bella," I said, leaning in so my lips were hovering just above hers.

"No," she whispered roughly, but sounding not at all convinced.

"Please?" I begged, trying to persuade her for my own selfish purposes. "If you let me help, then we might still have some free time before I have to hand you over to your mother." I pulled back and then grazed my nose along her jaw while my hands found purchase on her hips.

"Who says you have to hand me over to her?" she breathed, shivering.

I lifted her easily onto the counter causing her eyes to go wide and her heart to beat faster.

"Propriety says," I murmured. "You haven't seen her in how long?"

"I can't remember," she said.

"Exactly," I whispered, moving to pepper her jaw with kisses. I continued my ministrations until I reached the spot behind her ear. Bella's hands quickly found my hair, as they often did. To my very great amusement, she fruitlessly tried to continue her argument.

"I talk to my mom nearly every day, you know. She won't mind."

"Nice try. You need to spend time with her. Time alone. Without me hovering," I said as my lips covered hers.

We kissed until it was almost impossible to stop. I was starting to get a little too comfortable being with Bella like this and it truly scared me. I didn't have to read her mind to know that she wanted so much more than I could give her. Of course, she didn't know that the hardest part for me was that I wanted it too. And if I gave in, it would be mean destroying both of us.

"Bella..." I groaned, forcing myself to pull back from her heavenly mouth. My hands were aching with the restraint it took not to handle her too roughly in my overstimulated state.

"Do you really believe you could still hurt me?" she asked, breathless and very reluctant to let me go.

"It terrifies me," I admitted sadly.

"But you make it seem so easy."

"I don't want to frighten you by letting you see the struggle. You have no idea... the dual desires that rage in me."

"Dual desires?" she asked, her tone incredulous.

I chuckled darkly. Was she really that unaware?

It was against everything in me to admit out loud what I desired –what was impossible for us. Instead I ran a finger across her exposed collarbone, over her shoulder, and down her arm. I stared at her small hand, playing with her fingers before twining them together with mine and begging her with my eyes to understand.

"Oh," she breathed, her heart rate soaring as the realization hit her. "Really?"

"Of course," I said too quickly. "I thought it was obvious. I feared it was altogether _too_ obvious." I looked down in shame at my admission.

"It wasn't," she said, moving her hands to the sides of my face. "But I'm glad. And I want you too."

A timid and reluctant smile took over my lips and I met her eyes once more. "Were I a man, I could die happily now just to hear that. But... I am not a man, Bella. I can't."

She searched my eyes. "Not ever?" The disappointment in her expression was heart breaking.

"I thought... I thought you understood," I said, my voice faltering. "I could kill you."

Bella's thumbs grazed my lips and cheekbones. "That's not possible."

"It's not only possible. It's highly probable. Please understand, love," I begged her.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. But... can we talk about this more another time? Maybe there are things we can do. Things that wouldn't be so... risky." She cringed and I knew she regretted the word as soon as it left her perfect mouth. I, on the other hand, was glad to hear her admitting I was dangerous, even if it was just a mild admission.

I kissed her tenderly, but chastely and tried to make her understand. "Every moment you spend with me is a risk. I will not promise to consider anything that would be dangerous or even disrespectful to you."

"You think you'd be disrespecting me?" she said, sitting back but holding my face tighter, the bottomless depths of her eyes holding me captive.

"That's how I would interpret it, yes."

She frowned, but it appeared sympathetic. "You know, if it was fifty years ago I might agree with you, Edward. But it's not. This is 2010. I don't think it would be disrespectful for us to have... _more_ to our relationship. We love each other. We're committed to each other.

"It's not that simple, Bella."

"I think it is. Not that I'm an expert because this is all new to me, too." She paused and looked away. "Well, it's not _all_ new, but what I want... the way I feel... this," she gestured between us. "And this," she put her hands back in my hair and met my eyes. "And this," she moved slowly forward to kiss my jaw. "It's new for us both."

My body remained rigid, holding in the tremors I was afraid to let her see. I pulled her hands away for both of our sakes. "I can't, Bella. Please..."

"You don't know unless you try. We might have challenges to overcome, but there are human couples who do, too."

"I'm not human," I said more forcefully than I should have.

"I know, that's why I'm trying to explain-"

"You just don't understand," I cut her off.

She looked at me for a long time before scooting off the counter and around me. "You're right. I guess I don't."

"Bella..."

"I have to clean, Edward."

I hated that the rest of the afternoon was awkward. Bella would barely meet my eyes, and I couldn't stand the thought of speaking out of turn and causing her more heartache. Her disappointment in the limits of our relationship was only natural, I reasoned. I also took it as another sign that being with her was the most selfish kind of love imaginable. She deserved so much more than what I could offer her. By the time we'd finished all of her preparations for her mother's arrival, we'd whispered apologies to one another and she swore the subject was forgotten. I knew that she was lying to both of us, but for the time being I had no choice but to let her.

~(~)~

I returned to Bella's apartment the next day to meet her mother, and to be reintroduced to her father as well. It seemed we both felt it important for the introductions to go smoothly and that mutual goal erased any awkwardness leftover from the previous afternoon. I was relieved to be greeted with a genuine smile from Bella and even more pleased when she easily took my hand and introduced me to first her mother and later, her father.

It became immediately apparent upon our meeting that Renee Dwyer was almost as perceptive as her daughter. _Almost, _but not quite_._ Fortunately for me, her insights were more fanciful and imaginative than they were discerning. She was also easily distracted, just as Bella had described her. While it did not escape Renee's attention that there was something off about me, she soon became more focused on the intensity of my relationship with her daughter than on the things about me that seemed otherworldly. It was obvious to her how much I cared for Bella, and it seemed as plain as day to her that Bella was in love with me. I found it both reassuring and unsettling to see us through her mother's eyes as the day continued on. To the one person who had known Bella the longest, there was an ease and physical awareness between us that I had never taken note of before. But perhaps that was because I'd always exhausted so much effort trying to subdue the side of me that was anything but at ease around Bella.

When Charlie Swan arrived in Seattle that afternoon, I was actually looking forward to the insight his thoughts and opinions would bring me in regards to Bella. Of course, I hoped he would accept me as a part of his daughter's life as easily as Renee had, but I didn't anticipate a huge problem considering that Chief Swan had always been warm and accepting of my family when we lived in Forks. There was one drawback to his arrival, however. Sue Clearwater was planning to attend Bella's graduation with him and after their last meeting, the thought of seeing her again had Bella on edge. We were both surprised when her father arrived without Sue at his side. Charlie's partially obstructed thoughts gave me no clue as to the reason for Sue's absence, so I had to wait for Bella to bring it up in conversation to find out what had happened.

"So Dad, where's Sue today? I thought she was coming with you,"

"Well, Bells... she's actually here. Um, in Seattle I mean." His eyes flitted to Renee and then back again before he finished. "She spoke to Seth this morning and I guess he's coming down with something. She wanted to check on him so I dropped her off at his dorm on my way here. She said she call me in a bit."

Bella stopped moving almost entirely at Charlie's words. Her eyes met mine briefly and although I couldn't read her mind, I had a pretty good idea where her thoughts were going.

"Seth is sick?" she asked, her voice unsteady.

Charlie shrugged. "I guess. I don't really know. I haven't heard from Sue yet."

Bella paled. "I'm going to call her," she said, jumping up from the kitchen table presumably to go find her phone.

"Bella," I called after her.

"What was that all about?" Renee asked, looking concerned at her daughter's sudden departure.

"I don't know," Charlie said. "Maybe she's worried Seth won't be able to be there at the graduation tomorrow. She said Embry wasn't going to make it either and those two were thick as thieves the last year or so."

Renee frowned. "You know... I'm not sure I will ever understand her friendship with all those boys," she commented.

Worried, and trying to hide how much I agreed with Renee, I excused myself and went after Bella. She was sitting outside on her front step when I found her, her phone held to her ear. I heard it ringing.

_"Hello?" _a feminine voice answered.

"Sue?"

_"Oh hi, Bella. You must have heard."_

"Yes. What's wrong with Seth? Is he...?"

_"Yes. It's the fever."_

"Oh, Sue..." Bella gasped. "Oh, Seth... I'm so sorry."

_"Ah, honey..."_ the woman sighed. _"It's not your fault. Don't you even think for a minute that this is your fault. I know what I said when you were in Forks... but I was wrong to put that on you. So, I'm the one who is sorry."_

"But you were right. I..." Bella's words fell off as she raised her eyes to mine. She shook her head minutely and I could see the conflict raging in her eyes. I sat down on the step next to her as Sue's tinny voice came back through the line.

_"Hey, you listen to me, Bella. I was crazy with worry when we talked last time, okay? I was beyond desperate to try and spare my son something that I watched destroy my daughter's life. But Seth is not Leah. And he's not Sam either. Or even Jacob. The silly boy is actually looking forward to what's about to happen to him."_

"So he knows?" Bella asked, trying to keep her tears at bay. I could hear her parents inside wondering where we were. Renee would be getting up to look for us at any moment.

Sue continued. _"Yes, he knows."_

"And is he okay? Can he... I mean, do you know how long before..."

_ "He started with the tremors not long after I got here. I called Billy and Sam. They said it could be a few more hours, or a few more days. They had me call Embry and he's on his way over. Sam and the others aren't far behind."_

Bella's eyes shot to mine. "Others?" Who?"

Sue seemed to pause longer than was necessary. _"I think he was bringing Quil... and Jacob."_

Bella nodded, her breathing accelerated. "They'll be there soon then..."

I whispered words of comfort to her as Sue chuckled lowly. "_Don't worry, Bells. The boys are going to have their hands full here."_

Bella let out a small breath. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

_"How are things going there? Is your dad okay with... _him_?"_

"If you mean are he and Edward getting along well, then yes. He's fine. They're both fine."

_ "That's good. I'm sorry I can't be more supportive, Bella."_

"Yeah, I know," Bella sighed. "So, um, what are we... what are you going to tell my dad?"

_"That Seth has a bad case of the flu and I'm taking him home to La Push since the semester is over."_

"But Charlie drove you here."

_"Seth has a car and your father knows how stubborn I am."_

Bella laughed quietly.

_"Don't worry, Bella. I'll call Charlie and take care of everything. Just enjoy your visit with him and your mom. And congratulations on finishing school. We're all so proud of you."_

"Thanks," Bella said softly. "I'm sorry you won't be there, Sue. Really. And Seth, too. Will you tell him for me?"

_"Of course, honey. I know he wishes he could be there. But he wouldn't want you to worry about him, okay?"_

"I know," Bella said, her voice shaky.

"Your mother is coming, sweetheart," I murmured in her ear.

Bella nodded and began speaking quickly into the phone. "I gotta go, Sue. Call my dad. And will you call me back when you get Seth home?"

_"Of course, honey. And Bella?"_

"Yeah?"

_"I'm sorry again for the position I put you in last month. I still wish you weren't involved with the Cullens personally, but I can't deny what they've done for our people. What they're doing still. Just be careful, honey. It would kill your father if anything happened to you."_

Bella cringed at Sue's words. She mouthed an apology, but I just shook my head. She was in no need of apologizing. Sue spoke the truth and denying it changed nothing.

I heard Bella's mother coming towards us.

"Smile, beautiful girl. Here comes Renee." I kissed her temple as she went back to her conversation with Sue.

Renee opened the front door and looked down on us with a giggle.

"Are you two hiding from us already?" she chirped. Bella turned around and waved, pointing to the phone while I stood up and distracted Renee so Bella could finish her conversation.

"She was checking on Seth," I explained.

Renee smiled. "Uh, huh. And you? What were you doing?" she teased.

I grinned as disarmingly as I could without "dazzling" her. "I was holding her hand."

"Uh huh..." she said, blinking but still dubious.

"What's going on out here?" Charlie called out from behind her.

Renee stepped back and gestured to the steps. "Bella's just on the phone. And apparently she needed Edward's help with that," she teased.

"Who's she talking to?" Charlie asked, ignoring Renee's remark.

"Sue, I believe," I answered casually.

Charlie frowned a bit. "Seth okay?"

I shrugged, as Bella stood and headed back inside. "Hey, dad... Sue should be-"

Charlie's phone started ringing as she spoke. "-calling," Bella finished with a small smile.

He nodded, looking a little embarrassed, and excused himself to the kitchen. A moment later Renee ran off to find her phone upstairs, having been reminded that she needed to call her husband as well.

"Are you alright, love?" I whispered when they were both gone.

"_I'm_ fine. Seth on the other hand..."

"Wouldn't want you to worry," I said, leading her to the living room to sit down.

She sighed as she curled up on the sofa. "So you heard all of that then?"

"Yes," I answered honestly, sitting with her.

"Are _you_ worried?" she asked.

I smiled at her. "Not at all," I lied.

"Really?"

"The only thing I am concentrating on right now, is you," I said, touching my fingertip to her nose. "And maybe your altogether too curious mother," I winked.

"And what about the wolves?" she whispered.

I sighed. "As many times as they've been through this, I'm sure the pack knows how to handle the situation."

"They're not down on the rez, Edward. Seth lives in a dormitory on a crowded college campus smack dab in the middle of Seattle."

"Okay, point is taken and conceded. But what is there to do? _You_ are not going anywhere near there right now."

Bella scowled. "I'm going to pretend that you didn't just try to tell me what to do, and go ahead and agree with you for now. But still... I'm worried. I mean, what if-"

"Your dad's coming back," I said quickly. I tucked a strand of wayward hair behind Bella's ear and smiled crookedly at her, hoping to make it look as though we hadn't been having a serious conversation.

Bella blushed and pushed my hand away. "No dazzling in front of my parents, please," she whispered.

Her words caused me to start laughing lightly, and I was chuckling still when Charlie finally appeared from the kitchen. Renee coincidentally made her way back down the stairs about the same time.

"Well, Sue is insisting she take Seth home immediately," Charlie announced.

"What? Why?" Renee asked.

"He has the flu. I guess it's pretty bad. High fever. Body aches. The whole nine yards," Charlie answered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Charlie, that's four hours there and four hours back," Renee said, her voice concerned.

"Not to worry, Ren. Seth has his own car here," Charlie soothed her. "Sue will drive him down in that."

"Oh, thank goodness..." Renee put her hand over her heart dramatically, making Bella shake her head and Charlie roll his eyes. Renee noticed the gesture and began stammering. "I mean, it's not good that Seth is sick, or that Sue can't make it to the graduation, but... oh, you know what I mean."

"Yes, Renee. We understand," Charlie chuckled.

Bella laughed quietly along with him, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes all the way. I squeezed her hand gently, trying to soothe her anxiety. Renee noticed and sat down on the other side of her daughter, placing her arm around Bella's shoulder. I moved back a bit to allow her to comfort Bella.

"What are you worried about, baby? Seth will be fine. He'll be over it in a week or so," she murmured.

Bella smiled at her mom and nodded, but didn't say anything which just made Renee nudge her shoulder and whisper in her ear. "Besides, I'm pretty sure you happen to have the hottest boyfriend in all of Seattle right now, so you don't get to be morose."

And even though I shouldn't have been able to hear, Bella knew immediately that I had, and her sputtering, red-faced response had me fighting very hard not to laugh. Charlie noticed and looked from the girls to me in question. I shrugged, but not before he saw the odd expression on my face.

"Everything okay over there, Edward?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh, yes... Fine, sir. I just had something stuck in my throat for a second."

"I'll bet you did," Bella muttered. When she finally turned her face to look at me, I honestly couldn't help but grin widely and wink at her. Predictably, she turned bright red once more.

Inevitably, Bella and her parents grew hungry and the subject turned to dining out. Alice had warned me a week ago that I might be forced to choke down some actual human food if I went along with them, but I was prepared to suffer through the meal for Bella's sake. Almost as soon as the humans in the room were settled on a restaurant, my phone buzzed once inside my pocket. I retrieved it and checked the message.

_Head's up... You just got all fuzzy on me.  
Call me when you find out why.  
Please?  
_

"Everything, okay?" Bella asked quietly.

I nodded and was about to show her the message in lieu of saying anything out loud, but was interrupted by the familiar sounds of Duran Duran.

_Burning the ground,  
I break from the crowd,  
I'm on the hunt I'm after you..._

Bella's eyes flashed to mine and her cheeks flushed predictably. She got up to find her phone with a wry smile. The expression on her face told me she was putting some effort into _not _laughing. I didn't even try to hide it, and chuckled openly at the ringtone she'd assigned to Embry.

_I smell like I sound,  
I'm lost and I'm found,  
And I'm hungry like the wolf..._

Despite her parents confusion, my laughter only grew at the memory of the first time I heard her little version of an inside joke. As Bella's phone had always been set to silent due to her running between work and school, it had come as a surprise one day when she apparently turned the volume on and left it on while we were visiting my family. I don't think I'd ever seen Bella quite so embarrassed, or quite so amused, as she'd been when she explained who the caller was. As red as she'd turned, it seemed a relief to her to have someone, anyone, to share the joke with. And my siblings didn't disappoint. Emmett in particular had laughed so hard, that he'd been reduced to silent, tearless sobs when all of the air had been pushed out of his lungs and he still remained unable to stop laughing.

I was still thinking about how Jasper had been forced to help Emmett get his emotions under control even after Bella picked up.

"Hello?" her voice spoke, interrupting my reverie.

_"Hey, Bells... It's me." _

"Yes, Embry, I know. Hi," Bella giggled.

"_Why are you... Oh yeah, your ringtone. I forgot," he said._

Bella frowned. There was something off with Embry's voice, even I could hear it. Three weeks ago I might not have been aware of the strain there without his thoughts to tip me off, but Embry and I had come to an uneasy kinship based on our mutual interest in Bella's wellbeing, and of course the threat we both faced in Victoria.

The slippery red-head in question had moved her camp just shortly after we found it. When the press in Olympia began to report the increased number of abductions and violent murders in the area, Victoria was wise enough to move on to new hunting grounds. The question had been and continued to be, where? Their trail had gone cold where it ran into the frigid waters of Puget Sound. Despite a combined effort –the wolves combing their side of the territory, and we combing ours– we'd failed to pick up any further evidence of the newborns or Victoria again. It should have been almost impossible for them to disappear like that, except that the unique geography of the area in and around Puget Sound worked to their advantage. Even Alice's visions had been unable to give us any further clues. The occasional nondescript or vacant house that Alice saw them in could have been any number of several thousand homes located in the region. The only thing we did know was that they hadn't completely disappeared from Alice's sight, which meant that Victoria was biding her time and possibly adding to her number before moving against the wolves again.

In the meantime, Embry and I both waited and learned to tolerate the multiple ways our two worlds had become intertwined. Bella being the most significant one to me, of course.

"What's wrong, Em?" she asked, bringing my focus back to the present.

_"Nothing, Bells. Nothing to worry about anyway. I was actually calling just to let you know that Seth is okay. Sue said you were feeling guilty and I told her I'd check on you."_

"Oh, thanks," Bella said. "So... he's hanging in there?"

_ "Yeah, he is. He'll be better when we can get him home. Which reminds me..."_

"What?"

_ "Well, uh, I just wondered if you know whether there are security cameras on _all _the doors going in and out Seth's dorm."_

"Yeah, there are. There should be at least," she answered looking confused at first. I watched as she paled ever so slightly. "Why?"

_"Um, well, you know, I'm not really a student here and uh..."_

Bella got up to go in the kitchen. "Embry, don't," she huffed. "Tell me what's really going on."

Renee looked after her and then at me. "Is she always running off like that?"

"On occasion," I said, trying to keep a light mood with her parents even as I continued listening into Bella's conversation.

_"Listen, B... don't freak out. I just need to get Seth out of here as quickly as I can and I don't want to draw any unnecessary attention. Sue is already waiting in the car for us, but..."_

"Is he... Did he?"

_"Not yet. I just wanted to know what we were dealing with just in case."_

Bella sighed heavily. "From what I know, most of the dorms have cameras on all the external doors and then there are cameras outside the building as well. And if you see any of those blue emergency phones around campus, they all have cameras on them too."

_"Thanks, B. And seriously, don't worry. Seth will be fine. We'll get him out of here."_

Bella was quiet except for the sound of her breathing and her nails tapping on the kitchen counter. I got up and excused myself from the living room to check on her.

"_I'll call you later, 'kay?" _Embry asked finally.

Bella sighed. "Sure, sure..."

Her back was to me as I stepped into the kitchen after she'd ended the call. From the pattern of her breathing I guessed she was trying not to cry. I stepped behind her and slid my arms around her, hugging her to me gently.

"Are you alright?"

She shook her head and then turned in my arms, wrapping her small arms around my waist and burying her face in my chest. It took her several breaths to voice her fears.

"What if Seth phases in the dorm? What if someone gets hurt and he hates me after this, Edward?"

"He won't hate you."

"How can you be so sure?" she whined.

I chuckled. "Years of experience."

She tilted her head up to look at me. "I was being serious."

"So was I," I said sincerely.

She stared at me a moment longer. "Would you... Never mind," she said, looking away.

"What is it, Bella?"

"It's nothing. I was just being silly."

I tilted her chin up. "Tell me, please? You know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

She smiled and shook her head. "I just want to know what's going on. As long as I've been friends with Embry and Jake, they've kept me at arm's length. I get that sometimes they didn't have a choice, but it's stuff like this –like what's happening with Seth- that drives me absolutely insane."

"I know the feeling," I smiled, taking her face between my palms and kissing her forehead. She giggled softly.

"Yes, I guess you do. But... at least I don't shut you out on purpose." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "It's not as if I can control whether or not you can read my mind."

"True enough. Though that would be something," I mused. Bella rolled her eyes, but smiled. I heard Charlie get up and sensed his concern over where we'd disappeared to. I not-so-subtly shifted my eyes towards the hall. "Your father is on his way in here to check on us."

As if on cue, Charlie cleared his throat from the doorway as he approached. "Everything okay in here?

"Yeah, Dad. We're fine," Bella answered, stepping away from me when her father came into view. Charlie studied the distance between us and then honed in on Bella's face, examining her moist eyes, rosy cheeks and fidgeting hands with unease.

"You ready to go eat now?" he asked. "Your mother is still on Atlantic time, so we should get going before she starves or falls asleep."

Not long after, we were passing by the University of Washington campus while I drove Bella and her parents to dinner. In the midst of fielding questions about my own education and career aspirations, I picked up on the thoughts of several all too familiar minds nearby.

It was slightly odd for an individual mind to jump out at me from the hum of background noise in a city this size, but then the wolf-pack mindset was completely distinguishable from just about anything else I'd experienced. Their thoughts rang through loud and clear. And as I tried to make sense of what I was hearing and seeing in their collective mind, it became clear that one set of thoughts in particular were less than ordered. They were, in fact, panicked.

_Fur... What the...? Oh, crap... Too small... Everything is too small... Why is my room so small? Trapped... How the hell do I get out of here? _

In my effort to decipher what was happening with who I assumed to be Seth, I missed a question that Charlie had asked from his seat next to me. A question that apparently had Bella in an uproar.

"Dad!"

"What?" he asked, glancing at her through the partition between the seats. "It's a valid question."

"It's rude."

"Bella..." Renee cut in. "Your father's not being rude. It's not as if we know many musicians. Least of all any that have studied all over the world like Edward has. We're not insinuating anything, we're just curious."

I chuckled as I realized that Charlie had asked about the consistency of my income as a supposed musician. It was the cover story Bella and I both decided to go with since the groundwork had already been laid when I left Forks. Although I'd doubted that her father had any recollection of my imaginary transfer to a conservatory in Europe five years ago, it was one less thing Bella had to lie to him about since I did actually play and compose.

"It's okay, Bella. I don't mind," I smiled, momentarily putting aside my concern over what was happening with the wolf pack. Instead I turned my attention back to impressing Bella's parents.

Charlie looked at me expectantly, so I answered his question and a number of other concerns he had as we made our way towards Seattle Center. It was obvious to me that Chief Swan was in investigative mode, evaluating my fitness to care for Bella. Eventually Renee caught on to what he was doing and put a stop to it. Of course, then she began her own round of questioning.

By the time we reached the restaurant, Bella was fit to be tied. While we waited for our table, I spoke softly in her ear, reassuring her that I was not at bothered by the inquisition. In fact, I'd quite enjoyed it. The only exception had been the part where I'd been distracted by the thoughts of a particular group of Quileutes. Not that I shared that fact with her immediately.

Dinner went well. Charlie and Renee were more amicable than any other previously married couple I'd had the pleasure of knowing. Not that I'd known many, but in my experience it was usually the case that that ex-spouses' thoughts dripped with bitterness and resentment towards each other. Perhaps it was simply the passage of time, or maybe that Bella's parents had both moved on, but I got nothing of the sort from either of them.

With Bella's assistance, and a beautiful view of Seattle to aide me as well, I managed to get away with eating very little actual food while we dined. Just two bites of the least unappetizing thing on my plate had been required to satisfy everyone at the table that I was eating. Even Bella was convinced that I'd eaten more than that and was surprised when I told her that I'd not.

"Really? That's it? Just two bites?" she asked, her eyebrows arched high. I laughed quietly.

"Yes, really."

"Wow... you're very good," she smiled and I laughed again.

She glanced over her shoulder at the partially closed door behind her and sighed. We were back at her apartment, saying our goodbyes until her graduation ceremony the next day since she had overnight guests staying; her father was sleeping on the couch, and her mother in Jessica Stanley's old room. I'd already bid adieu to Charlie and Renee, but Bella had insisted on walking me out.

"Thank you again for tonight. I think they're almost as in love with you as I am," Bella said quietly, teasing. I smiled.

"I wouldn't go that far. But you're welcome. And I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow..." she sighed, pushing out her bottom lip.

I smiled and stroked the lip in question with my thumb. "I could always sneak in your window after your parents are asleep."

Bella looked up, surprised but obviously delighted. "You would do that?"

I laughed, thinking of how I'd considered it several times already. "I was actually kidding just now, but yes. If it would make you happy I would."

"Then climb in my window," she said, her voice dropping low and a lone eyebrow arching high.

"Bella..." I warned, taking a small step back.

"Oh fine," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Sorry, I'll be good."

"Thank you."

"So are you headed home now?" she asked.

"Perhaps."

She regarded me for a moment and then narrowed her eyes pointedly. "Where else would you go?"

I laughed again. Was that jealousy I detected? It seemed like that was the case when she looked down, seemingly embarrassed.

I touched her cheek tenderly and then placed a small kiss where my thumb had been. "Don't worry. I just may have a small errand I need to attend to."

She sighed at the feel of my cool lips on her skin. "An errand..." Her eyes snapped up a moment later, and she blinked. "Wait. It's not some big graduation surprise, is it?"

I let out my own frustrated breath and stood up straight. "No. It's not." I was still upset that she wouldn't indulge me when it came to buying her things, but I knew that was a tedious conversation best left for another time. As it was, there was enough going on tonight. The drive home had once again been interrupted by the thoughts of her werewolves nearby. I was surprised they were still around at all, but it seemed as though they had a bit of a situation on their hands. Or paws, as it were.

"Oh, okay..." Bella said quietly, biting her bottom lip and looking somewhat unsure. "I'll still see you later, right?"

"Of course."

"Tonight?"

"Yes, tonight."

"Do I need to leave the window open?"

I smiled. "No. Though if you don't want me to have to repair it later, you should leave it unlocked."

She smiled and then shivered. "Okay."

"Go inside, love."

She nodded and quickly (for her) reached up to kiss my cheek before retreating inside. I watched after her as she shut the door, but as soon as I heard the click of the lock, I turned and walked towards my car at normal human pace. It wasn't until I heard Bella asking her father if he'd heard from Sue Clearwater that my mind was entirely made up. I took one look at her beautiful but worried face in Charlie's mind and knew what I had to do.

I only hoped I wasn't about to lose an arm, or my head, for what I was thinking of doing. Even if the brand new werewolf involved didn't take me apart, I was fairly certain that one of my sisters might.

~(~)~

* * *

_**End Notes:**_

_Uh, oh... what is that crazy vamp-boy off to do now? I would love to hear your theories, but you will definitely find out in the next chapter. Which I am very happy to say is already written. :-) Update will be in about a week. _

_Thanks, Ginnie_

_(PS- I'm VGMay if you're on Twitter)_


	26. Chapter 25: Fire & Icy Water

**Author's Note:**

_This story is not abandoned or on hiatus. Please see emended author's note at the end. (Added April 23, 2011)  
_

_PS: Stephenie Meyer & Volvo own it all. I haven't said that in a few chapters, but it's still very true. This is a piece of long winded fanfiction, nothing more.  
_

_PPS: It's been a year since I began this & I truly can't believe the overwhelming and positive response. Thank you so much for all the support, the nominations, __and the many reviews you've given me_ . You're the lights in my moonless night. ;-)  


_Much Love, Ginnie_

* * *

**Chapter 25:**

"**Fire and Icy Waters"**

Sunday afternoon, a day after receiving her Bachelor's in English Literature from a werewolf-free University of Washington, Bella and I dropped her mother off at the airport and then turned the car towards Cedar Falls. Charlie had returned home to Forks the night before. Saying goodbye to both her parents had been bittersweet for Bella. She admitted she would miss them a good deal, but was eager for things to get back to what she called normal.

Bella was unusually quiet while we drove and I knew that her thoughts had drifted back to Seth without having to ask her. A phone call to La Push yesterday did little to ease her unnecessary guilt and anxiety. Even though Sue had promised her the pack got Seth home without any incident, it was likely that Bella would not be convinced that Seth was okay until he himself told her so. I wanted to tell her that I knew from personal experience that he was doing fine, but was slightly afraid of her reaction to how it was I had that personal experience.

As we got closer to the house Cedar Falls, she tried to put on a brave face. My own mask firmly in place, I grinned at her and was relieved to see she was almost smiling by the time we pulled up in front of the garage. Emmett was the first to greet us, hollering as he bounded over with Rosalie a few steps behind him.

"Bella!"

"Hey, Emmett," Bella answered as I held the door while she stepped out. She took my hand with a more genuine smile. She was trying. My eyes were apologetic even as my brother continued on, oblivious.

"Con-grad-uations! I got you something," he said when he reached us.

Bella turned to face him and what was left of her smile fell.

"I told you guys no-"

Emmett put his hands up. "Relax. It's nothing big. And you'll love it, I promise."

"Emmett..." Bella complained.

"Oh come on... I know you're just dying to _commence_ opening it!"

Bella rolled her eyes, but laughed lightly. "Cute."

"Thanks," he smiled.

"Just ignore him, Bella," Rosalie cut in. "He's been like this all morning."

"Thanks for the warning," Bella replied, tightening her grip on my hand. I could only guess that she was suspicious of my sister's unexpected greeting. Of course her effort didn't last. Rose went right back to being Rose.

"So... when do I get to take a look at the piece of crap truck that my brother says is going to take your life any day now if you keep driving it?"

"What?" Bella squeaked, turning to me with her mouth open and her eyes narrowed. "Did you really say that?" she asked and pulled her hand out of mine, aiming to smack me in the stomach.

I grinned and captured her tiny hand before she could hurt herself. "I'm sorry, love. But it's the truth. And I cannot tell a lie."

"Oh, right. And I was the second gunman on the grassy knoll**," she quipped, rolling her eyes.

Laughter erupted from Emmett as well as from the rest of the family who were assembled inside the house. Even Rosalie paused to give Bella an appreciative glance.

"Not bad, little girl."

Bella's ire faded as she took in the backhanded compliment from my sister. "Um, thanks?"

Rosalie frowned. "Yeah, well, whatever. Just let me know when you want me to see if your junk heap is beyond help."

"Um, okay I guess... Just, Rose?"

"What?" Rosalie demanded, spinning on her heel to glare at Bella.

"Don't call it a junk heap," Bella replied in a surprisingly firm voice. "Please?" she asked, her tone wavering a bit.

Rosalie's eyes flashed at first, but then shook her head and laughed mockingly. "Whatever."

Several hours later, I was truly thankful for my sometimes idiotic, but somewhat thoughtful brother. Bella had started laughing just as soon as she opened his graduation gift to her. The _Ultimate James Bond Edition_ of _Monopoly_ that he'd found online was a hit, and much to my brother's delight, she forgave him for breaking her self-imposed ban on presents. She was even open to playing a round of the game with him then and there.

We set up the game board in the family room and while we played at a leisurely human pace, Bella answered Esme's questions about the previous day's commencement ceremony, as well as the whole of her visit with Charlie and Renee. Bella left it up to me to tell everyone how it went when I was introduced to them.

"They were naturally a bit suspicious. Chief Swan talked himself out of believing there was any basis to his gut reaction to me, but Bella's mother..." I trailed off, sharing a small smile with my beloved whose eyes were once again slightly haunted.

"What about her?" Esme asked, watching us intently.

I shook my head. "Let's just say that Renee Dwyer is almost as observant as her daughter is."

Bella spoke up immediately, at hearing Esme's small gasp and seeing Carlisle's concerned face. "Renee has a very vivid imagination," she explained quietly. "She would have been looking for something odd about Edward even if he was 100% human."

Rosalie scoffed without looking up from the catalogue of vintage Chevy parts she was browsing. "Well, now... that's the thing isn't it Bella? He's 0% human."

Bella scowled at my sister before righting her face. I had to smile at her tenacity. "I think my parents will be pleased with my choice as long as Edward makes me happy. And he does," she said simply.

Rosalie pretended to ignore Bella. I however, pulled her closer to me and kissed her temple before whispering in her ear, "You make me happy, too."

Bella sighed and leaned into my chest only to sit bolt upright when Rose tore from the room at top speed. Bella's poor little heart raced in surprise.

"Rosalie Lillian..." Esme scolded.

Alice sighed and shook her head. "Well, she won't be back until dawn."

Emmett frowned and threw the dice down a little too hard on the game board in front of him. "I'll go talk to her."

Bella smiled weakly and looked at the floor in front of us as Emmett stood up. "Will you tell her I'm sorry, please?"

Emmett paused. "You didn't do anything wrong, Bella."

"But I..."

"No, you didn't," he interrupted. "And even if you had, just don't worry about it, okay? I'll take care of my girl."

Bella smiled up at him, but I could tell she wasn't convinced.

"It was me," I murmured, pulling her fully into my lap once Emmett was gone. "I'm the reason she took off."

"What did _you_ do?" Bella asked sincerely.

I smiled shyly, painfully aware of the audience we had. "I existed."

She made a face.

"I'll explain it to you some other time. Just believe me when I say that Rosalie is not mad at you."

Bella heaved a sigh, but nodded. Jasper noticed her slipping mood and raised an eyebrow. I shook my head subtly, signaling we'd discuss it later.

Alice went to work distracting Bella with a movie on DVD and an updated weather report for Jessica Stanley's upcoming wedding the following weekend. Bella had asked me to accompany her weeks ago, but all Alice could see was sunny skies and a plethora of questions if I attended the festivities. Alice reminded Bella regularly that weather could change quite suddenly, and I think we both knew that I'd do just about anything to be at her side. Which was why I'd been so surprised that Alice had only fleeting visions of me there. We could only assume that something Alice _hadn't seen_ was preventing me from being at the wedding, and in both of our minds that meant it probably had something to do with a certain pack of werewolves. Again, we were left to just wait and see.

"I'd say she's out for the count," Jasper laughed quietly when Bella's head fell heavily against my chest only halfway through the film.

"She hasn't been getting enough sleep these last few weeks with her exams and working full time," I said, twirling a piece of her hair around my fingers.

"Well, she should be able to rest easy now. Does she have to work this week?" Esme asked, watching us fondly.

"Just Tuesday and Wednesday. She leaves for Virginia on Thursday."

Esme's eyes sparkled. "Why don't you let her stay here tonight then? Let her rest."

I frowned a little, even as my thoughts and Alice's went to the image of Bella in the big bed in my room.

"I don't know if she would be comfortable staying her overnight."

"She seems comfortable enough to me," Jasper muttered. I looked at him in surprise and he shrugged.

_What? You know she is_.

And I did, but there was the not-so-small matter of a human being sleeping amongst a house full of vampires. She was at her most vulnerable while at rest and I was used to having her all to myself at night; I was used to her bestowing that kind of trust on me alone. Then there was, of course, the fact that she was in the habit of talking on occasion and I was selfish enough to definitely want to keep that all to myself. But on the other hand... if we stayed here then I wouldn't have to be exposed to the mundane and sometimes vulgar thoughts of Bella's many neighbors all night long. Or their smells. The thought of escaping that for even one night was very appealing and I sighed as I looked down on my beloved. Her eyelids fluttered a bit, and she smiled slightly as she continued to fall deeper into sleep while resting against me.

"She'd want to stay," Alice said confidently.

I nodded. For once I didn't really need to look for confirmation –I knew my sister was right.

Jasper tested the emotions coming off of Bella again and his thoughts flickered back to earlier in the evening. He met my eyes and wondered if I would tell him what had her so upset.

I paused for a moment, knowing I would have to word this carefully. "Another one of the Quileute boys with the shape-shifter gene joined the pack this weekend."

"Another one?" Carlisle spoke out.

I nodded. "Yes. Seth is Bella's friend and the son of her father's girlfriend. She loves him like a brother and feels responsible somehow. She's also worried about what he'll think of her now."

_Why?_

_ Because she's with you?_

I smiled at Jasper and Alice. "Something like that. The Quileutes believe that it's our presence that caused this generation to begin phasing. Seth was apparently too young when we first moved to Forks, but the pack kept growing long after we left, Because he's a direct descendent of one of the old wolves, the tribe assumed he would be one of them. But then the older he got, they instead began to believe it might pass him over."

"And Bella thinks that it's somehow her fault that it didn't?"

"To a degree."

"Well, that's absurd," Esme commented.

"That's what I've been trying to tell her," I sighed. "She just feels the need to take the whole world on her shoulders."

"Sounds like someone else we know," Jasper said, raising an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes.

_Sure... deny it, but you two couldn't be more perfectly matched, _my brother thought.

I started to ask him what he meant by that, but Carlisle had another question.

"So the young man, Seth? As I recall he was attending UW with Bella. Is that correct?"

"Yes," I answered slowly. I had hoped to avoid this conversation but saw the questions in Carlisle's mind and knew it was unavoidable.

"And you said he phased this weekend? For the first time?"

I didn't have to be Jasper to feel the emotional tenor in the room go from easy to alarmed in less than a second. I braced myself for what was to come next.

"Yes."

"Was he in Seattle when it happened?" Carlisle asked.

"He was. But we were able to get him back to La Push without much incident."

"We? We who?"

"Well, me... and a few members of the pack. They did most of the work, I just helped them get away unseen."

"What!"

Carlisle stared at me, lowering his book. "Just how exactly did you do that?"

"Um, no..." Alice interrupted. "Why exactly did you do that?"

I ignored her for the time being.

"I might have tampered with the security cameras on campus and then caused a small diversion while they got Seth off campus."

"What kind of diversion, son?"

I paused and sighed. He wasn't going to like this.

"I pulled a fire alarm to evacuate the building Seth lived in, and then I set a small, contained fire to draw attention away from the back of the building."

Carlisle practically threw his book down at my words. Jasper looked at me like I was insane, while Alice stared at me, slack-jawed and frozen in place. Esme simply closed her eyes and pressed her fingers against her temples.

"Have you lost your mind?" Jasper asked first.

_My sentiments exactly, _Carlisle thought, surprising me. He shook his head slowly and eventually formed the words. "You actually started a fire? In a dormitory?"

"It was well contained."

"I don't even know what to say to that," he sighed. His thoughts were utterly shocked.

"How did you get involved in the situation to begin with, Edward?" Esme asked gently.

"Um..." I began. "If I may... allow me to take Bella upstairs and then I can tell you the whole story."

Carlisle nodded and silently acquiesced, so I made my way upstairs with Bella cradled in my arms. Alice entered my room a few steps behind me with some pajamas in hand.

"She'll wake up in about an hour. She can put these on then."

"Thanks, Al."

_Yeah, whatever... I did it for her, not you._

"You're mad at me?" I asked, surprised.

"What do you think?" she hissed. Chastising me even as she helped me take Bella's shoes off and settle her under the covers. "You lied to me, Edward. I asked you what happened when you disappeared on Friday and you said that it was nothing. That it was just Embry."

"Well, Embry was there," I said, somewhat abashed.

Alice walked out on me without another word, leaving me alone to make sure Bella was settled. When I was assured she was fast asleep, I returned to the family room to find that Carlisle had the television tuned to a local Seattle news station that had done a story on the incident on campus yesterday. Emmett and Rosalie had come back inside, having wandered close enough to the house a few minutes ago to hear what was going on.

"I cannot believe you pulled a stunt like this without contacting one of us," Carlisle scolded.

"I used the smoke to keep onlookers focused on the opposite side of the building from where Seth exited. I planned to make an anonymous donation to cover any damages."

Emmett started laughing loudly. "Dude!"

"Shut up," I hissed. He wasn't helping.

"Oh, man...does Bella know about this?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, but I plan to tell her."

"What were you thinking setting fire to a building, Edward?" Carlisle sighed, still shocked and exasperated.

"I set fire to a trashcan, the building was never involved. And I was trying to help a boy who is like a brother to the woman I love."

"Someone could have been hurt, or killed."

"I was careful," I said quietly.

"So careful that it made the local news?" he challenged.

"You really have a special talent for making a mess of things, don't you Edward?" Rosalie interrupted. "As if we don't have enough problems."

"You are a bit of an idiot, bro," Emmett laughed.

"Can we desist with the name calling, please? It's not solving anything," Esme insisted.

"What happened after you pulled the fire alarm?" Carlisle asked, trying to regain control of the conversation. "Were you able to ascertain if the diversion worked? Did you all get away unseen?"

"I believe so, yes."

"You believe so?" Jasper growled.

"There were no witnesses telling tales of the Wolfman, if that's what you mean. And I checked the security tapes from Seth's dorm as well as the two closest buildings and they were all clear. Although it may be prudent to take a look at the rest of the university's security feeds from Friday night around 8:26pm. Just in case."

"Yes!" Emmett cheered. Rose reached out to slap him, but he was waiting for it and caught her hand. "Come on, babe. You know you love a little undercover work. And you look hot dressed all in black."

She scowled and then conceded the point. "Yeah, I guess so."

"So you'll go with me?" her husband asked.

Rosalie shrugged. "It's just another opportunity to bail Edward out of trouble. So yeah... why not?"

Jasper sighed. "I'll go with you guys.

"Count me in too," Alice said, a slightly devious smile coming over her face. "Carlisle's not done talking to our dear brother yet."

I swallowed reflexively when I realized how right she was. While my siblings departed to see to their errand, Esme quietly ghosted upstairs to one of the computers in the house and began pulling up all the news stories related to the fire on campus yesterday.

Carlisle kept his eyes trained on me as the room emptied. My decision to leave him out of my decision to interfere with the wolf pack didn't set well with him. As a result, for the first time in a very long time, I felt like a normal seventeen year old boy standing under his father's scrutiny.

Then in a flash, reality reminded us that our lives were anything but normal.

Alice gasped just as soon as the vision overtook her. She was changing clothes at the time so it took me a minute to tune into her thoughts since I'd been granting her some privacy. My eyes fell closed as the images and sounds overtook me.

Water, blackened by night. Stone-cold flesh, white and stark against the darkness. Lights extinguished. Screams muffled by the sound of a small explosion in the engine room. Blood running thick over white flesh and eventually into the water. Sixteen, no, now fifteen crimson eyed monsters wreaking their havoc upon unsuspecting commuters. Dozens of hearts ceasing to beat. Dozens of bodies taken watery graves. And then nothing... Blackness. Static. Nothing.

"Alice?" Jasper pled.

"Edward?" Carlisle's voice echoed Jasper's.

_Edward, what is it? _he thought, reaching out to me mentally.

"The newborns," I said when I was able.

"What about them?"

"Victoria's going to let them loose on a ferry. She's going to let them take out every single human being on board and then scuttle the ship."

"What!"

_When?_

"All those people..."

_Why!_

"How?"

"Alice, darlin'? Come back to me."

_Edward? _Jasper's thoughts screamed, frantic at the emotions coming off of Alice.

"Edward?" Carlisle said, nearly as frantic. "Tell me what she saw. Tell me exactly what Alice saw."

I relayed her vision to the others, and as soon as I did, the room became chaotic. At least it was chaos in my head.

"A commuter ferry? As in public transportation?"

_Those things can hold over a couple thousand people!_

"Who would attempt such a thing?"

_All those innocent lives... so many of them..._

"Why would they attempt such a thing?"

_How could she possibly hope to cover that up?_

"The Volturi would hear about something like that. There's no way they could miss it."

_Oh, God... that would bring them here, wouldn't it? Oh, Bella... Edward..._

"We don't have a choice. We'll have to kill her."

"Could everyone just stop?" I begged. "Please!"

The family had gathered together in the foyer of our house, waiting anxiously on Alice and Jasper who were still in their room. Their thoughts were horribly loud and as panicked as our kinds thoughts become. The many questions in their heads and coming out of their mouths were overlapping and only amplified my own concerns.

"Alice is on her way down. Just please calm down," I whispered, holding my head in my hands.

"Oh, sweetheart," Esme murmured.

Alice appeared at the bottom of the stairs just then with Jasper by her side, doing everything in his power to stabilize the emotional tenor in the room.

"Friday," Alice said. There was a brief image in her mind of someone holding a paper. "There was a man on the ferry with a paper dated for Friday."

I exhaled in relief, the sound loud even to my ears. By some great mercy, Bella would be gone when Alice's vision came to pass. She would be on the other side of the country attending Jessica Stanley's wedding this weekend.

Suddenly someone spoke up, it may have been Rosalie. "What if the paper you are seeing is a couple days old or something?"

"Well, we at least know it's not happening until after Friday, then," someone else said. "That's something."

I continued to alternate concentrating on the scenes from Alice's vision and thoughts of the lovely and fragile girl who was asleep upstairs and breathing quietly.

"We have to stop this from happening," I mumbled. Alice nodded, her eyes troubled as she met mine.

"I can't see what will happen if we don't interfere yet, but I agree... There is no way that a missing ferry will go completely unnoticed. The waters in the Sound aren't deep enough in most areas to conceal that kind of thing forever. It will surely garner attention."

_Volturi... _ the word echoed through all of our minds like a haunting vesper.

"Were you able to see the name of the vessel in your vision, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

She shook her head. "I'll keep trying."

I ran my hand through my hair. "We can narrow it down at least. It was a smaller vessel as far as ferries go. Definitely under five hundred passengers."

"That helps," Jasper and Emmett said almost in unison. One of them offered the other a fist bump.

_Thank goodness it's not one of the larger ones, _Carlisle thought.

"The website for the state's DOT might have some information on their fleet that we can use to identify the ship you saw, Ali," Jasper said, rubbing his mate's back as she clung to him.

"I don't know if it was one of Washington's fleet. It could have been a private line, or from British Columbia. Most of what I saw was on the interior. We'll have to check into it," Alice said.

"We also have to contact the pack," Carlisle said.

"No!" Alice shrieked. "We can't... I can't... that will make it worse." She looked at me and I saw that she was already struggling to see the way things would play out now. It was inevitable that we would contact them and when we did their decisions would both blind her and possibly alter the course of the vision she'd seen.

"What else are we to do, Alice?"

"I don't know," Alice said, sitting heavily on the stairs. She rubbed her forehead and kept searching for anything that would help us.

Rosalie crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "Why don't we use what she saw to spring a trap on Victoria and the newborns? We know where they'll be and approximately when."

"It's not that simple, Rosalie," I sighed.

"Why not?" she huffed.

"Yeah, why not, Edward? It sounds like a really good idea to me," Emmett chimed in.

Jasper looked up from his place next to Alice. "It is the best lead we've had since Olympia. And the wolves are ready to fight. I've taught them everything I can."

Carlisle was nodding. "If we make our arrangements and call the wolves in at the last minute..."

Alice squinted and then growled in frustration. "It's already muddled. You're already set on calling them. It's just a matter of when. I don't think I'll see it if our decisions alter her course. I can only tell you what I originally saw."

Carlisle sighed. "I'm sorry, my dear."

"One second... Can I just ask a question for those of us without visions of the future, mind-reading, or four centuries of wisdom to draw from here?" Emmett said suddenly.

"Of course, Emmett," Carlisle sighed.

"I thought ginger-bitch was after the mutts. What's up with her taking this little army of hers on a killing spree as if she's staking a claim on the territory? A very public claim, I might add."

Jasper exchanged a look with Carlisle, gaining silent permission before addressing Emmett's question.

"It's about access to blood," he said, his face straining slightly as his throat flared with the thoughts that accompanied his words. "In the southern wars an act like the one Alice has seen would have had a dual purpose. Like you said, Emmett, it would serve to stake a claim on the area. But it would also serve to prepare the troops for battle, so to speak. Since newborns are so volatile, but at their strongest when well-fed, it's important to find easy blood and plenty of it. At least it is if you don't want to risk losing numbers in the final hours."

The reactions to Jasper's words ranged around the room from horrified to impressed. Emmett for one was surprised that buses, boats and trains didn't turn up mysteriously empty on a more regular basis even today. Jasper caught on to his emotions and glared.

"Engaging in such reckless and radical hunting practices is not a pardonable offense, Emmett. Believe me when I tell you the Volturi found no one above reproach when they came to put a stop to the wars in the south."

Emmett put his hands up in a show of surrender. "Easy, big brother. I was just surprised. I mean, I know I'm not a genius or anything, but it never would have occurred to _me_ to do anything like that."

Carlisle put a hand on Emmett's shoulder. "That's because most of us come into this life with at least a shred of our humanity intact. We are not the mere feral creatures that some would lead us to believe. If that were the case then I would not be standing here. Nor would our existence be a secret. Even those of our kind who regularly consume human blood would be hard pressed to live a controlled and nearly invisible existence were that the situation."

Jasper nodded. "It is unusual for even the worst of our kind to behave _this _brazenly though. Victoria must either be particularly evil, or she has a death wish. Maybe both."

"Well, she's not taking us down with her," Rosalie growled.

"Rosalie's right. We have to stop Victoria and her progeny before they get to that ferry," Esme said.

"Agreed," Carlisle replied.

Jasper crossed his arms over his chest, looking every bit the tactical advisor he was. "We'll have to find out what vessel and ferry route we're talking about here, but if we wait until the time is right..."

"We can stop them before they get there," Emmett interrupted.

"Victoria is too proficient at escape. We need a way to assure we actually catch her this time," I said.

Jasper ran through various strategies. "If we wait until they're in the water…"

I saw where he was going with his thoughts. "We could rent out the ferry. Purchase enough tickets to bring fill it to capacity and then insist we need to have it to ourselves."

"What about the crew? What are we going to do, hijack the thing and drive it ourselves?" Emmett asked.

"Well, I just set fire to a public building this weekend in the name of the greater good. What's a stolen ferry now? It may end up under water anyway."

"Boys," Carlisle scolded.

"We can't afford that kind of risk," Esme added. "What if we bring more attention to ourselves?"

"You mean more attention than hundreds of missing commuters and a sunken ferry?" Emmett asked sincerely.

Carlisle sighed. "We could try to rent out the ferry. We'll need aliases and fake ID's, and we'll also have to consider the crew, but it could work. Maybe if I can get enough blood from a blood bank, we can keep the newborns too frenzied to realize that there are no beating hearts on board. At least until it's too late." His words were flying out as fast as he was thinking. Jasper was nodding in agreement.

"We can't deal with them on board the ferry though, it would be destroyed," Rosalie interjected.

"We're not talking about a fight on board the ship. We need to catch them in the water. They'll know something's up before all of them can get on board otherwise," I said.

"We'll be outnumbered that way though, Edward," Alice spoke up.

I sighed. She was right. "How many of them did you see, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

"Fifteen newborns. Well, sixteen, but one will be dust before they make it in the water." She was still rubbing her forehead. "And then Victoria, of course."

"So then, that's where the wolves come into play," Carlisle responded without pause.

Alice shook her head. "I just don't know."

"Well, I know this," Jasper said. "Edward's right. The primary focus must be the newborns' creator. Victoria is the objective. We get her and we stop this. The rest of the mess can be cleaned up later."

Alice started shaking her head. "I can't see if you're right, Jazz. I can't see us catching her either, and I don't know if it's because we won't or because it's blocked to me."

I looked into Alice's mind further as everyone considered that. "What other choices do we have?" I asked.

Esme sighed. "I guess all we can do is hope that Alice can't see the end result because the wolves will be the ones to catch Victoria."

"That's not good enough, though!" Alice practically shouted. "What if we go to all of this trouble and she gets away?"

"Or worse," Rosalie whispered, trying not to think that one of us could be lost in the process.

"So we let Victoria and her babies go after the ferry," Emmett said. All eyes shot to him in disbelief that he could be suggesting we let the humans fend for themselves, but he just grinned. "Look, if we try to wait for them to come to us, or try to trick them, they could turn right back around and escape the way they came. But..."

Jasper nodded. "If we slip in behind them and cut off their retreat, they will be forced to advance."

"And the wolves will be waiting on the other side of the channel," Emmett concluded.

"Very good, boys," Carlisle began. "But there's still one problem with your plan, Emmett."

"What?" Emmett asked.

"The humans," I answered. "The newborns will still be distracted by an easy meal and we can't possibly hope to protect the ship and catch Victoria."

"Damn," Emmett sighed. "Well, what if we wait on board the ferry and jump overboard when they are too far away from the shore for any easy escape?"

"Still too many potential casualties," Jasper said.

"And witnesses," Rosalie added.

Jasper hummed. "And all of this is contingent on us pinpointing which ferry route we're talking about here anyway."

"Unfortunately..." Carlisle stopped us. "As you mentioned earlier, this is the first solid lead we've had in weeks. We know there will be some movement on Friday, so we have to go with it. Are we all in agreement on that at least?"

He looked around the room just as I heard Bella stir in the bed upstairs.

"Very well, then," he sighed. "Alice, Jasper, Edward... do what you have to do to determine which ferry it is and see if you can nail down the date and time some. Emmett, Rosalie... you two get to Seattle and check the rest of the security tapes from yesterday around the time your brother and the wolves were smuggling Seth off campus. Confiscate what you must. Esme and I will get documents, money and everything else in place so we're ready for anything this weekend. Understood?"

A chorus of yeses rang out and moments later the foyer of the Cullen home was nearly empty.

"Alice?" Carlisle asked on his way out the door. "Am I contacting the Quileutes yet?"

Alice shook her head. "Not yet. Give me some time. A few hours at least. I'll let you know."

"Alright, my dear. And... remember, we believe in you," he added. Esme smiled warmly at Alice beside him and then they were gone.

Bella shifted again in the bed upstairs and I could tell from her breathing and heart rate that she was about to wake up.

"Go on," Alice said, raising her chin up. "She needs you, too."

"I'll be down to help just as soon as she's asleep again."

"It won't be long. But we'll manage without you somehow," she teased.

I smiled. "Thanks, Alice. And Al?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry I lied to you about the other day."

"That's okay. I just hate being so blinded by them."

"I know you do."

"Hey, Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"We can't fail at this. Not this time."

"I know," I answered as her mind flickered forward again. The future she was looking for was too far off to be truly distinguishable to her, but all of it was bleak. The indistinct images created a strong sense of foreboding in both of us. She was right. We could not fail. Everything in our futures seemed to hinge on that.

And it was with that thought that I ran up the stairs, thanking any God willing to listen that Bella was going to be on the other side of the country when it all went down.

~(~)~

"You were gone." Bella's eyes fluttered open slightly at the feel of my cool fingers against her cheek.

"I'm sorry, love. Were you very disoriented when you woke up?" I asked. While we'd spent time here every week for the last month or so, Bella had never actually slept here overnight before.

"Not really. A little at first. I'm sorry I fell asleep." Her cheeks warmed considerably and I couldn't help myself from running my thumb along the flesh there.

"It's okay. Do you mind that I brought you up here instead of taking you home? I know it was a bit presumptuous of me."

"No, I'm glad you did. I like it here," she said. "And your bed is really comfortable," she added shrugging.

"Is it now?" I smiled.

"Mm-hmm.," she nodded. "Ridiculously comfortable. You should try it out."

My eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Should I now?"

"Mm-hmm," she answered pressing her teeth into her lower lip and looking up at me with her beautiful, inviting eyes.

I swallowed. Had she any idea what she was doing to me?

_Distract her, Edward. Now is really not the time for that._

I frowned at Jasper's thoughts and heard Alice laughing a little despite how worried and pre-occupied she'd been a moment earlier.

"Alice loaned you some pajamas to wear," I said, offering them to Bella. "There is also a new toothbrush, your brand of toothpaste, and a few other toiletries in the bathroom for you."

She looked up at me, confused.

"Just some wishful thinking on my part, I suppose."

"Oh," she said, pausing until a smile crept across her face. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I answered, surprised. It was just a toothbrush and toothpaste, but it was progress where Bella was concerned.

I held my hand out to help her sit up and watched as she kicked at the covers to get out. I adored her antics as usual. Simply being near her suddenly made all of the tension from minutes ago melt away. It wasn't as if I could ever forget what the future held in the days ahead, but I just handled them better when Bella was near me. She gave me a reason for staying focused and calm. When she looked up at me, her eyes completely full of love and trust, I knew I could not –no, would not– fail at what I had to do.

Once Bella had changed and gotten ready for bed, she immediately climbed back in between the sheets of the large bed that would now and forever more be hers. "Join me?" she asked, quietly.

I climbed up next to her, pulling the covers up for her as she snuggled against the pillows and adjusted them to her liking. When she was settled, she gazed at me with her teeth pressing into her bottom lip and a question burning in her eyes.

"What is it, love?" I asked, lying down next to her but on top of the satin comforter.

"Will you... will you hold me?" she whispered shyly. Her bashfulness amazed me. Was this the same creature who was teasing me only moments ago?

"Yes, of course," I answered, shifting so that she could lie across my chest as she usually did.

Bella sat up a little, but instead of curling herself around me, she shook her head. "No. I mean... in here?" she asked, lifting the sheets in invitation.

"Bella," I breathed.

"Please? I haven't forgotten what you said the other day," she whispered as softly as she was capable of. "But that's not what this is about. I just want to be close to you."

I stared at her, amazed by the power of her words. Because if I were to be completely honest with myself, at the moment I wanted nothing more in the world than to hold her and never let go. Knowing what I had to look forward to over the weekend –not only having to fight and possibly destroy up to a dozen sentient beings, but living without Bella as well- it made me want to soak up as much of her enduring warmth as possible.

Bella sighed when I didn't answer. "Never mind, it's okay if you'd rather not."

"Bella, wait," I stopped her. "That's not it. I was just considering."

She looked at me as if she didn't trust my words, or she was afraid to believe them. It broke me.

"Scoot over."

It was just two words, but Bella's smile was sublime.

She immediately complied and shifted to one side, lifting the sheets higher for me as she did. I could feel her heart beating faster and her breathing increase. I found my own respirations doing the same. The scent of her saturated my lungs and it still shocked me that I was now able to be this close to her without the searing pain and extraordinary internal conflict that I would have experienced a month and a half ago. The discomfort was still there of course, it would never go away, but it was now associated with so many pleasant sensations that it was almost possible for me to ignore it. Not quite, but it was still amazing to me how far I'd come.

However, tonight would be a new challenge for me. The flow of Bella's warm blood both soothed my silent heart and attracted the beast inside me. I was wise to be thinking ahead of how those basal instincts would affect me without the barrier of a blanket or two between us.

"You'll get cold like this," I warned her, despite the fact that I was agreeing to her demands.

She shrugged. "I already told you, my sheets feel chilly to me when I first climb in bed too. But they warm up eventually. Why wouldn't you?"

"Physics, love. It's a bit different, given my molecular make-up," I chuckled.

"Well, in lieu of giving me a science lesion, why don't you just try? I might be a little human toaster for all you know."

"A brave little toaster," I teased.

"Oh, I used to love that movie when I was a kid. Did you ever see it?"

"Unfortunately. Jon Lovitz could potentially drive me insane."

"Who?"

I laughed. "The man who did the voice of The Radio."

"Oh," Bella said, yawning.

"Alright. Come here," I said, resigned to trying something new. I just hoped she was able to fall asleep before she started shivering. With our limbs tangled together and her head resting against my chest however, I realized she wouldn't be the only one in danger of trembling.

_Easy there, Edward..._ Jasper thought, silently reminding me of other more pressing issues as if I could actually forget them.

Still, my brother's warning sobered me and I dutifully kept myself in check while Bella held herself to me. I did allow myself to breathe deeply of her scent as she began to drift slowly into unconsciousness. Just as I thought she was about to surrender, she jerked and grabbed my shirt in her fist. Her heart began pounding in earnest, causing venom to flood my mouth.

"Bella?" I said softly, once I was sure I was safe for her.

She raised her head to look at my face, blinking and swallowing hard. "Sorry. Bad dream," she rasped.

"Already? You were barely asleep."

She shrugged and tried to take a calming breath.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head and laid it back down. "It was nothing."

"It's not 'nothing' if it frightens you," I answered.

She didn't answer, but instead began rubbing her foot softly against my calf. I was surprised by how severely intimate the gesture felt.

"Come with me?" she suddenly whispered. She leaned up on her elbow and rested her head in her hand to look at me. "Please, come with me to Jessica's wedding? I know you said there will be questions, but surely you can make something up that will work. And the sun... well, we can figure that out too. Just tell me you want to come with me."

I turned on my side and mirrored her position. "I want to come with you," I said quietly, lifting my free hand to cup her cheek. "But... I can't."

Her eyes lit up and then fell all at once. It crushed me.

"I would be there in a heartbeat if I could, but I just can't Bella. It's not a good idea."

"I understand," she whispered, frowning at my vague excuse before lying down again. I could tell she was fighting hard not to respond emotionally to her disappointment. She took a few breaths and closed her eyes, during which time I debated telling her the reason why I wasn't free to accompany her on her trip. It was then that I smelled her tears and looked down to see one escape from her clenched eyelids.

"Sweetheart, don't cry," I said, pulling her close to me and leaning over her. She tried to swallow back the flow of her tears as I kissed them away. "Please, Bella. I'll be there the moment anything changes."

"No," she shook her head. "You don't have to do that. It was unfair of me to ask you. Alice said it would be sunny. What was I thinking that you would just hide in my hotel room the whole time? How selfish am I?"

I laughed, despite the fact she was being serious. "No more selfish than I, I guarantee you."

She sighed, and not caring that my siblings had halted their discussion to pay attention to what was going on in my room, I leaned closer to her.

"These things will happen now and again if you share your life with me, Bella."

She finally opened her eyes and met my gaze. "I know, and I can handle that. I'm a big girl. I just..." she took an unsteady breath. "I'll miss you."

"I know. It will be the same for me."

She smiled slightly and reached up to push a wayward strand of my hair back into place.

"It's the second wedding I've been in inside of a year. First it was Angela's, now Jessica's. I've never once been envious of them, but I give it a day before someone makes the 'always a bridesmaid, never a bride' comment. Not to mention all the inevitable questions about when I plan to settle down. Like I'm so wild now..."

Bella continued speaking, all the while running her hands through my hair, tracing patterns on my scalp with her fingers. Despite the phenomenal sensation, my body and mind were locked into place. Frozen over the words, "_never a bride"_.

I felt as though I was suddenly incapable of putting two and two together. Had it been a prophetic statement? What had she meant by it? Did she think she would never marry because of me? Did she not want to marry? Or was it some sort of hint? Surely not. And dare I ask her to clarify? I couldn't. That was hardly romantic. Only... why was I having visions of her in white, walking down the staircase of this very house towards a small sea of people?

Bella's fingers stopped their motions and I became aware of her hands on my face.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

I smiled. "Yeah. I'm perfect."

"Well, you don't have to brag," she teased, forcing a laugh from both of us. Slowly, she moved her hands to the back of my neck, threading her fingers in my hair. "Seriously Edward, you'd tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you? Did I say something to freak you out?"

"No," I bluffed. "And why would think something was wrong?"

"I don't know..." she said, obviously thinking. "You just seemed far away there for a second."

I smiled and ran the backs of my fingers over her cheek. "I'm right here, where there's nothing for either one of us to worry about right now."

She sighed and lifted her head at the same time she pulled down on my neck. I complied with her silent request and kissed her softly, relishing the traces of her taste on my tongue. Fortunately for my control, it wasn't very long until Bella was sated and sleepy once more. With her tucked safely in my arms, I hummed her lullaby until she was once again sleeping soundly.

It wasn't easy to pull myself away from her later to go back to my family and the crisis we were desperate to avert. It was even more difficult to leave her alone in her apartment the following evening to do some reconnaissance on the two ferry routes we suspected were possible targets in Victoria's plan. And it was almost impossible to tear myself away from her two nights after that, our last night together before she left for Virginia and what I assumed would be nearly five days apart.

"Dude, you're late."

"I know."

"What the hell? We're vampires, man. We don't do late."

"Shut up, Emmett."

"Geez, you're a moody bitch when you leave your woman," he laughed.

"Shut up, Emmett." This time it was Rosalie who said it. I smirked a little as I took my place in the ranks of my family.

_How is she? Did you tell her what's going on yet?_

I glanced at Rose briefly and shook my head. I hadn't said anything to Bella about the impending fight or this last minute tactical meeting with the wolves. Only a few would come to represent the pack tonight. It was too risky for the lot of them to leave the reservation. So for the last couple of meetings, Embry had volunteered to come –along with Quil, and more reluctantly, Jacob. Whoever was coming tonight was due any minute now.

_You really are an idiot,_ Rose thought, scoffing out loud._ When Bella gets pissed and wants to kick your ass, tell her to come find me and I'll do it for her. _

I rolled my eyes. She was, in her own annoying way, trying to be charitable of my relationship with Bella. But as much as I wanted to be grateful for her efforts, most of the time I wanted to tell her not to bother. Especially when she reminded herself to be good simply because she would only have to put up with everything for a few more decades. And that was only if I didn't kill Bella first.

I forced those thoughts out of my head and once I focused on the situation at hand instead, I realized that the thoughts of the rest of our family were decidedly more positive and eager than they'd been a few hours ago.

"What happened?" I asked, seeing Alice grin when she noticed that I'd picked up on the change. "What's going on?"

Alice bounced a little. "We had a stroke of luck."

"Yeah?"

"An address. And a garbage truck," she said brightly.

"Alice..." I complained, wishing she would stop dragging it out. She laughed but took pity on me and opened her thoughts, filling me in verbally at the same time.

"The trash collection service for the house Victoria had taken over apparently showed up a little earlier this week that last. It was still dark outside when the truck arrived and a couple of newborns caught the driver's scent. Not good for the driver, but great for us. I saw the attack just before it happened and the truck's designation was plainly visible. It was also reported missing after it failed to show up at the end of the day, so we were able to determine the route it was assigned to from the company. It's a rural route, located north of Victoria, British Columbia."

Alice beamed.

"Great job, Alice," I said, grinning back.

"It gets better. Thanks to the most recent satellite imagery available on Bing maps, we have a pretty good idea of exactly where her safe house is."

"So, Victoria's _in_ Victoria?"

"Well, just outside it. But yes. Ironic, isn't it?"

"It is. It's also really good news," I said, looking up at the rest of the family. "So what's next? I assume you guys already talked strategy."

Carlisle stepped forward. "We did a little. This information moves the timeline up a bit. Alice sees the group moving on again soon. Most likely because they killed the driver of that garbage truck so close to their home base."

"That's the thing with newborns, though. They're so damn unpredictable," Jasper added. "We have to realize that plans will be made and just as easily abandoned where they're concerned."

"True," Carlisle agreed. "But we have her current location, an approximate idea of where and how she was planning on preparing them for the battle, and of course we know that she's planning on a trip to La Push after that."

"We assume that's the case," Jasper reminded him. "It makes the most sense. But even then, there are still several options for how they would get there. I assume her current location means that she plans on attacking from the Coast. Think Normandy Beach. However, we don't know that for certain and we know nothing of her plans after that."

Emmett sighed. "It's too bad we can't get Eddie-boy here close enough to her to get a read on her thoughts."

I smiled and shook my head. "I can try, but she has some kind of sixth sense when it comes to her own self-preservation. If she thinks she's cornered, she'll flee."

"And we can't afford to spook her now," Carlisle added.

"So what next?" Esme asked, taking his hand.

A branch snapped about a mile off. The wind shifted and we all turned towards the scent.

"It's time to talk to the pack," Carlisle answered, taking his position as the head of our family.

"Let's hope they're ready for this," Jasper added, falling in line next to him.

_Ready for what? _

_ They want to know if we're ready? Ha!_

_ I know, right? Hey, Edward! Tell them we were born ready!_

I smiled despite myself.

"What is it?" Jasper asked, confused by my humor.

"They can hear us." I nodded towards the trees. "Seth in particular wants you to know they were born ready."

"Seth? As in the one who just turned werewolf a couple a days ago?"

_The one and only, _he thought happily.

"That would be him," I said.

"Well, Seth," Jasper said, louder than was probably necessary as the padding of giant paws drew near. "Y'all are about to find out if that's true."

* * *

**End Notes:**

_**The "second gunman on the grassy knoll" is a reference to one of many conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963. A second gunman was never found or identified, nor were theorists ever able to prove conclusively that there was a second gunman involved. Because the event happened long before Bella was even born, the Cullens were surprised and impressed by her wit. And while it would be very unusual for someone of Bella's age to use this phrase, I believe she could have picked it up from one of her parents, as did I._

_- On other quick thing. I've only had one or two people ask about this, but Leah is not going to be a part of the pack in this story. Due to the Cullens leaving and the delay in Victoria learning about the southern vampire wars, there weren't enough vamps around to necessitate Seth and Leah changing at the same time they would have in the New Moon/Eclipse timelines. Since we know Leah is older than even Bella (a year, maybe more), I decided she was probably already well over twenty when Victoria came back into town with Riley and friends. Also, I haven't written anything on the subject, but my sincere wishes are that Leah had the good sense to move on with her life and find happiness elsewhere other than in La Push. Who would want to watch their cousin and ex-fiance live happily ever after? Not me. I imagined her somewhere warm and sunny, and completely werewolf free. I'd love to hear your HEA wishes for Leah if you have them. Who knows, maybe I'll write it someday. ;-)_

* * *

_**EDIT:** Added April 23, 2011- I've gotten a few confused reviews that seemed to think the "to be continued" that I formerly wrote at the end of the chapter meant that this was the end of **What Drives Her** and I was planning a sequel. Just to clear things up, that's a big, fat no. This is NOT the end, it is to be continued in the NEXT CHAPTER. I hope that answers any concerns. I realize it's been a long time since I updated, but writer's block happens and I have to admit that action and suspense are difficult for me. I am writing, I have not given up on this, it's just a lot of work to maintain canon elements and keep characters "in-character". I'm playing inside Stephenie Meyer's playground, and trying desperately to go by her rules as well. It's that reason many of you love this story, and so I will continue to hold myself to that level of excellence. Anything less would be unfair to you. Have patience... the conclusion is coming.  
_

_Mega Hugs, Ginnie_


	27. Chapter 26: Victoria

_**Author's Note:**_

_Hello Dear Readers! It's been a long month, and as always, you have my apologies. Thanks a million to my betas , Kathie & Susie, and my pre-reader Morgan, who blew me away with their kind and encouraging words/suggestions. For the rest of you, just in case you've forgotten where we were, here's a little recap:_

_Bella and Edward were just settling into their new relationship, growing closer and sharing their lives, which included weekly visits to the Cullens large mountain-top home in Cedar Falls, WA. Edward was introduced to Bella's parents as her boyfriend the weekend she graduated from The University of Washington. That same weekend, Seth phased for the first time. The event landed the Quileutes in a bit of a sticky situation before Edward helped them out. Exhausted from the long graduation weekend, Bella slept over at the Cullens house for the first time, and Alice had a vision of the newborns attacking a commuter ferry. The Cullens came up with a tentative plan to stop her. Fortunately, this attack coincided with Bella's trip to Virginia Beach, VA where she will be serving as maid of honor in her former roommate, Jessica Stanley's, wedding. _

_~(~)~  
_

_From Chapter 25: _

_A branch snapped about a mile off. The wind shifted and we all turned towards the scent. _

_ "It's time to talk to the pack," Carlisle answered, taking his position as the head of our family. _

_ "Let's hope they're ready for this," Jasper added, falling in line next to him. _

* * *

**Chapter 26: **

"**Victoria"**

A fraction of a second after the wolves caught sight of us in the waning light of the moon, their reflective eyes were visible through the trees. Clouds rolled overhead, bringing with them darkness and a sense of foreboding, or perhaps it was the wolves that brought the feeling of impending conflict with them. Jacob, Embry, and Quil tensed slightly as the newest member of their pack stepped out from the trees, waiting to see what his initial reaction to us would be.

Seth surveyed us one by one, his hackles only rising upon taking in Emmett's large frame and taunting smile. The sandy brown wolf's large and lanky body shuddered, as if reminding him that he was meant to be repulsed by our presence despite the fact that he really wasn't. If anything, he was curious. In his thoughts I could see that he was sizing each of us up, weighing our appearance in person against what he was hearing from his pack brothers' thoughts and memories. Jacob specifically gave him a rundown of our names and strengths, as well as our weaknesses.

He memorized all of it, thinking idly that he hoped he'd never need to use it. It was obvious from that single thought that Bella's relationship with us had already influenced his attitude in some small way. Though our scent burned his nostrils and caused his jaw to flex involuntarily, he restrained his instincts easily. He spent a few extra moments appraising me. Our eyes met and he regarded me not with the coolness of an enemy, but with a hesitance that betrayed his concern for Bella. On one hand, he knew from interacting with Bella herself in recent weeks just how happy she seemed with me. But on the other hand, he'd been exposed to the very great hatred that the others of his kind held for all vampires.

Seeing the history of his tribe through their own eyes unfortunately made him question my intentions where she was concerned, just as the rest of his brothers had done.

"Hi, Seth," I said quietly, when he met my eyes again for the second time.

_Hey, Edward, _he thought back.

Carlisle met my eyes briefly before addressing the rusty-brown wolf who'd come to stand closer to us than the others. "Jacob," he dipped his head. "Thank you for meeting us. I see you've brought somebody new with you."

Jacob all but rolled his eyes.

_ Jeez, these bloodsuckers and their formalities... _He looked at me. _Why don't you introduce everybody? I feel ridiculous. _

I tried to remain neutral and simply act as an interpreter, but Jacob's attitude along with the pack mindset made it very hard. Almost predictably, within minutes of Carlisle delivering the news of Victoria's plot, there were arguments spawned by the subsequent discussions of strategy.

_ Nobody is trying to tell us how to run the pack. Jasper is merely pointing out a fact._

_Fact, my ass. It's his opinion, the pretentious, bloodsucking-_

_ Paul! Enough. Phase back and go home. You're not helping. _

"What's going on, son?" Carlisle asked lowly.

"Inner squabbling in La Push. Sam's handling it though."

I kept my eyes locked on Jacob while we essentially passed notes between our leaders. Initially, he'd been acting independent of Sam, but a couple of the pack members left behind in La Push were making it difficult for him to concentrate and Sam had finally stepped in.

_Edward, _I heard Sam's mental voice address me. _Tell your father and brother that we'll take their advice into consideration. For now, however, we'll stick with our strategy. Seth will stay behind in La Push with Brady and Colin tomorrow. Though, I suppose the young ones could do with some more practice. Especially Seth. He's quick and has good instincts already, but it's just made him overconfident. _

Seth whimpered softly.

I chuckled and repeated the message to Carlisle.

He smiled graciously and spoke directly to the wolves. "We might be able to help with that. A demonstration perhaps?"

_Of course, _Sam agreed_. And I'd like to see him go up against one of the females. _

_ Oh come on... _Seth thought.

_ Hush, _Jacob rebuked him with an audible cough. _Overconfident. Like we said, _he thought meeting my eyes. Quil and Embry let out what I knew were barks of laughter.

I nodded once and turned back to my family with a slight smile. "Sam would like a demonstration for Seth, and then he's is going to have a go at one of the girls. He's still learning that gender and size mean nothing when dealing with our kind."

Jasper smirked and turned to Carlisle, who gave him the floor. Jasper looked over each of us quickly, making his decisions easily.

"Okay, Esme and Emmett, if you will... And then Rose, you're going against the pup."

"Oh, goodie," Rose whined, popping her hip out and looking bored.

_Her?_ Seth thought, sizing Rosalie up, her attitude and all. Thanks to the pack mind, he was already getting glimpses of Rose in action and adjusted his opinion accordingly.

Seth then turned his attention to Emmett, who was acting the clown and leading Esme out on his arm as if they were headed to the center of a ballroom instead of the center of a clearing in the woods. Esme had taken his arm with a warm smile, but I could see that she was already calculating her first move against Emmett based on his previous scrimmages in weeks' past.

Jasper sensed her determination as well as Emmett's apathetic attitude and glanced at me. _She's going to wipe the floor with him, isn't she? _he thought.

I nodded just once before Esme sprung.

Emmett never saw it coming. He hit the ground with a crack, but countered quickly and roughly, swearing the whole time.

Esme took his language and his assault in stride, never once letting him gain the advantage over her. He tried with all he had in him, but she'd been studying his tactics in recent weeks and used that knowledge well. His strength was matched by her cunning. His bulk was impeded by her agility. It was somewhat surreal to watch this normally refined lady, who'd been as a mother to all of us, flip herself around Bruce Lee style and growl at one of her children.

Emmett made one more desperate attempt to best her after that. The result was almost comical; the raucous and rowdy Emmett laid out flat on his back with gentle and loving Esme's teeth at his neck. With a huff of frustration, he raised his arms in the air and yielded.

Seth was appropriately impressed and awed. Then, with a quick glance in my direction to see if I was paying attention, Jacob put Seth on point and told him to gain the advantage over Rosalie while the others backed him up.

I gave her the word and, despite her initial reluctance to play along, Rose was gone in an instant. Seth was still waiting for someone to say "go."

_No fair!_ he thought, scrambling to get his large feet moving fast enough to follow his nose towards Rosalie's scent.

_That's the way it is, Seth, _Jacob chided._ There are no warnings or referees in real life. You need to be prepared for anything._

Jacob continued to coach Seth through the medium of his thoughts and soon the youngest member of the pack was gaining on Rose as she flew through the underbrush beneath the trees. Emmett shifted uncomfortably and looked between me, the remaining wolves and the direction Rose had gone in.

"Easy, Emmett," Jasper soothed him.

"Dude..." Emmett complained. _I'm just supposed to stand here?_

"She's fine. She's taken to the tree tops now," I whispered too low and too fast for the wolves to hear it.

When I turned my attention back to them, Jacob was counting in his head, trying to keep calm and give Seth a chance. He knew the pack's strength was in their ability to hunt as a unit. Relying on the link they shared, they were nearly unstoppable when they were together. The trouble for them came when they got separated. Having Seth isolated made the rest of them nervous. Even normally laid back Embry pawed at the dirt, waiting for any sign of distress from Seth. I caught his eye and lifted my chin a bit in acknowledgment.

"She won't hurt him."

_Accidents can happen, dude._

We both turned towards the trees, hoping that wouldn't be the case this time.

Seth lost Rosalie's scent and turned to backtrack. It was a rookie mistake and before anyone could correct him, Rosalie took advantage. Just a single leap on Rose's part resulted in her landing on Seth's back with her arms locked tight around his neck. He cried out in surprise as they tumbled and rolled through the dirt to a halt.

In an instant, Jacob, Quil and Embry were in motion, ready to tear my sister to shreds if need be. Emmett was only two-hundredths of a second behind, running in a panic to get to Rose's side.

"Stop, Emmett!" I called, taking off after him. Not long after, the rest of our family was in motion as well.

For several long seconds, it was a race against time. The wolves were reacting instinctively as was Emmett. Seth was still too stunned by what had happened to let his brothers know he was really okay, so they were growling and gnashing their teeth as they ran.

Their fervor only propelled Emmett and the rest of my family on to defend Rose should it be needed.

Fortunately, she released Seth, whispering lowly in his ear as she did. "If this had been real, I would have snapped your neck and been back in the trees before your brothers heard us hit the ground."

Seth made some sort of choked acknowledgement as soon as Rose let go of him. Jacob's body slowed and sagged a little in relief, as did the others. Still, Rosalie didn't take too kindly to being charged at by the three older wolves and hissed at them when they appeared in front of her.

The defensive sound pushed Emmett on and just as he was planning on tackling Jacob, I reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

"Stop it, Emmett. She's fine. They won't hurt her."

"Like hell," he growled, shrugging me off.

"Edward," Carlisle said, urgently. _Stop him._

I cursed lowly, given no choice but to lunge and tackle my hot-headed brother to the ground. Our bodies met with a resounding crack while Jacob, Embry, Quil and Seth watched on with wary eyes. We rolled to a stop in front of them and a low growl escaped the two oldest of the group while Seth whined, telling his brothers to step back.

Rosalie leapt over our heads at the same time, putting herself between us and the wolves. She issued a warning growl before turning her back on them and giving her attention to me and Emmett. He was still swinging at me and I winced as his fist connected with my jaw.

Seth stepped back further when he saw that. _Give them some space, guys. He really must have thought we were going to hurt her. _

Quil scoffed. _Dude, we were going to hurt her if she didn't let you go. How did you manage to keep your cool like that when it was your neck she had her arms around?_

_ Dunno, _Seth thought easily.

Rose pulled Emmett up to her and went about calming him down while I sat in the dirt and tried to ignore them. I was rubbing my jaw, feeling more than a little annoyed, when four sets of wolf ears twisted around to catch a sound coming from behind them.

_What was that?_ Seth thought meeting my eyes. Jacob, Quil and Embry turned their heads slowly to listen.

It was only then that I realized we weren't alone. Before I could even complete that thought, the hair on the scruff of the werewolves' necks rose until it was standing straight up.

I stood immediately, a curse escaping my lips with the instinctive hiss I let out. Seth froze in place as Jasper took note of my emotions.

"What's the matter, Ed-"

"Shh... It's _her_. I can hear her thoughts."

Rose and Emmett stood straight up. "What-?"

I silenced them with my hand.

I looked at Seth, knowing the rest of the wolves, Jacob included, could see me through his eyes. I pointed to the trees, and then to the woods to the west, towards La Push. "She followed you here," I said lowly.

_Followed us? _Embry thought, glancing back at me.

I nodded. From Victoria's thoughts I gathered that she'd been scouting ahead, deciding on her route to La Push and planning the last few details of her attack when she caught their scent heading away from the reservation.

_ Is she alone? _

I nodded again in response to his inquiry.

_Then we move now before she can bolt, _he thought quickly.

"No. Stay still," I hissed as the noise in my head grew exponentially with the collective response from the pack and my family. "She can't hear us yet and she has no idea what brought you four out so far from the reservation. More importantly, she doesn't know that we're here." I pointed to my family.

_We can't let her get away. This is our chance. _

Jacob took two steps forward with that thought.

"Easy," I murmured, causing his hackles to rise.

From La Push I heard Sam making plans and planning strategy with him. They'd also mobilized the rest of the pack. Half of them were already running towards our current position.

"Easy," I warned them again, speaking through Jacob to all the others.

_Cullen, we won't let you leave us in a defensive position or waste an opportunity._

_Edward,_ Jasper tried to get my attention at the same time. _Tell me what's going on. Where is she?_

"To the west. Not far. A mile or so. I can barely hear her."

"Can we escape without-"

"No. I don't think so."

Jacob twitched a bit_. We'll pursue her. Chase her away from here. _

I repeated Jacob's words for the benefit of my family. "Jacob says they'll lead her away from us."

"We could certainly use this to our advantage," Jasper said quietly, meeting my eyes. _If they can lead her to us, maybe we can surround her and take her out now. _

"I think the pack is hoping the same thing," I said as quickly and quietly as I could. The wolves were a cacophony of thoughts and mental images. It was almost disorienting until Jacob focused on me.

_How much longer do we have, Cullen? _he thought. _We can't hear her the way you can._

"We're okay for now," I said, quirking my head to one side, listening with both my ears and mind.

"What is it, Edward?" Carlisle said almost silently. Only those closest to him would even know he'd spoken.

"She's uncertain what to do. She doesn't want to sabotage her plans, but she wants..." I paused as her thoughts came into better focus and I saw rusty brown fur and a face. "She wants Jacob," I said in surprise.

Seth growled lowly and Jacob gave a mental eye roll. W_ell, obviously leech. I killed her mate, a fact she seems to be holding on to. _He turned his attention back to La Push. _Wonderful help this mind reading crap is. We need to move, Sam, one way or the other. _

I could tell he was hoping for permission to ditch us and try to catch her himself, so I moved closer to him as Sam considered all the options.

"Remind me again of your success rate in that past, Jacob?" I taunted.

He bared his teeth at me and growled, but there was no true malice behind it. He knew I was right.

"Look... if it's you she wants, I suggest you let her get you. Or at least allow her to think she has a chance anyway. I'd bet my right arm she'd give anything to get you alone right now," I said, maybe a little too enthusiastically.

_Yeah, and_ _I bet you'd love that too_, he thought.

I smirked. "Ever heard of bait?"

Jacob eyed me warily, as did my family.

_You don't think we've tried that before? _

"You didn't have us before."

_Which in and of itself is completely insane. _

My head snapped up, my eyes darting to the trees. Victoria had begun to follow the wolves trail again. "Insane or not, it's decision time. She's coming. You need to go if you're going to keep her from discovering the rest of us."

Jacob conferred mentally with Sam, Embry and the others for a moment and then they glanced back at the trees again.

_Where I am going? _he thought.

"Do you know the abandoned quarry on the north end of this peninsula?" I asked.

Jacob lifted his head. _Yes._

"Head there," I answered. "I'll stay on your tail, close enough to read your thoughts and Victoria's. Once you're there, give her a reason to believe she can take you without any risk to herself."

_Sure, sure. Offer myself up on a silver platter. I got it. _

I smiled, despite the seriousness of the situation. "Just do me a favor?"

_What? _

"When I show myself, play along. Alright?"

_You better not leave my ass hangin', Cullen._

I rolled my eyes at his crass thoughts and he looked away, giving out mental orders to Embry, Quil and Seth.

_I can't believe I'm going to say this, but stay with the Cullens. _

The trio nodded and with only a slight hesitation, moved to join my family. Jacob turned in the other direction and waited for me a few yards away.

I looked at Jasper and Carlisle.

"For this to work, she can't suspect anything until the last minute. The quarry has that channel that runs right out into Hood Canal, so-"

Carlisle clapped a hand on my shoulder. "So we'll swim there."

"Exactly," I smiled.

Rosalie, not surprisingly, frowned. "Swim?"

Embry whined and shook his large head too.

_Uh, Edward... we're not quite as adept as you guys are in the water. Ever heard of the doggie-paddle? The fur slows us down a lot too._

I turned to him. "I don't think that will be too much of a problem. She knows you're out here somewhere. Just follow along the shore and when you get to the quarry, approach quietly. Jasper?"

I looked at my brother. He nodded for me to continue.

"You'll get there before the rest of us. Stay submerged until she's thoroughly distracted."

Jasper nodded. "Good idea."

"We need to go now," I said. Jasper nodded and behind me Jacob turned to leave.

Embry, Quil and Seth simultaneously set off in the opposite direction, easily following the scent trail my family left on our way here tonight.

After quick hugs from Esme and Alice, both of them telling me to be careful, the rest of my family took off in pairs. I put my full attention back on Jacob and Victoria, and waited for him to get her attention before following after.

When Victoria caught sight of Jacob, she was cautious and simply observed him for a long time before she began pursuing him. It was not lost on her that she couldn't hear the footfalls of the other wolves she'd smelled on the trail earlier and she was concerned as to where they were now. With each moment that passed however, she grew more and more tempted to throw caution to the wind.

Her thoughts were conflicted over the idea of going after an individual wolf, even this particular wolf, versus carrying out her elaborate plans for the whole tribe. She knew she could prematurely alert them of her intention to strike if they interpreted this attack as a warning. But she also knew that if she left Jacob untouched now, his death may come too quickly and too efficiently later. It was that thought that pushed her to begin following him in spite of her highly ingrained sense of self-preservation. Of course, it didn't hurt that Jacob was doing a good job of making her believe he was merely running a random patrol.

While I closed the distance between us carefully, I got a much better feel for Victoria's thoughts. They were almost chaotic; the workings of her mind overshadowed by desperation and desire –desire for revenge. Her sole purpose now was to end the wolf she hunted, causing him as much pain as possible in the process. She wanted him to feel that same kind of agony she felt when she watched James get ripped to shreds. Not that she ever thought directly about that event, the source of all her anguish. No, in order to control her pain and her despair, she'd disciplined herself to focus instead on the act of vengeance alone. And now, she could finally begin to see it within her grasp.

Victoria picked up speed in her pursuit of Jacob. While she ran, she imagined all the ways she would torture him as soon as she managed to get her hands on him. Her thoughts became more graphic as she concentrated on Jacob's lone footfalls. Mercifully, she hadn't detected my presence behind her yet. Unmercifully, she planned her assault in greater detail, envisioning herself pulling every one of Jacob's joints out of their sockets, breaking the bones between them one at a time, and then if his heart still continued to beat, peeling his hide from him slowly.

_He will scream for me to kill him, but I won't grant him that kindness. It will be slow. _

I pushed forward a little faster, seeing through Jacob's eyes that he was nearing the vast clear-cut in the trees that had been made decades ago when the quarry first opened. Victoria was apparently too lost in her fantasies to sense my approach, and as if it had been perfectly choreographed, Jacob chose that moment to end the wild goose chase he'd been leading.

With an all too obvious limp, he slowed and stopped just on the edge of a vast crater created over the years by a former salt mining operation. Victoria heard the change in Jacob's pace and the unevenness of his footfalls. She crept silently up one of trees on the very edge of the clear-cut to get him in her sights. She watched him for a moment before the sound of my approach caught her attention. Fortunately, the sight of Jacob's wolf form blurring, shrinking and changing right before her eyes had the desired effect of tempting her.

_Well, well, well... Isn't this just too easy? _she thought sarcastically.

Her eyes darted from him to the direction I was coming from. She considered that it might be a trap and instinctively her mind mapped at least ten separate routes of escape should that be the case. There was little time for her to linger on the idea though before Jacob let out a low moan and, fully naked, sank to the ground cradling one of his feet. In other circumstances I would have rolled my eyes at his theatrics, but I was too focused on my goal. There would be only one chance at this. Otherwise, Victoria would get away. Again.

The thoughts of my family nearby gave me some comfort, as did the fact that she seemed completely unaware of them as she watched Jacob. Before things could change, I dashed forward and leapt through the last few trees before landing just a few feet behind Victoria.

"Interesting creature... isn't he?" I asked lowly.

Victoria spun to face me, the movement blurring.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked, her gaze locking on mine and narrowing.

I smiled and shrugged. "No one of consequence."

"Animal drinker?" she sneered, noting my eye color. I nodded. She took in the information for a moment.

"Surely you're not planning on drinking him though?" she questioned, pointing to Jacob, her nostrils flaring in disgust. "He smells like rotting sewage."

I chuckled and gave her a grin. "That he does."

"Well, then what do you want?"

I ghosted past her until I was standing over Jacob and lifting him by his neck as carefully as I could without doing any damage. He immediately grabbed my arms in protest and his body shuddered violently, nearly phasing in my grasp before he remembered my earlier request to play along.

"Interesting creature indeed," I mused, giving Jacob an only slightly apologetic look.

"Put him down," Victoria hissed. "He's mine."

"Surely _you're_ not going to drink him?" I asked, intentionally baiting her while Jacob pretended to struggle against me.

Victoria narrowed her eyes and glanced between the two of us suspiciously. She took not a second to decide that I wasn't just some random vampire passing through. She knew I was up to something.

"What do you want?" she growled.

"That's an interesting question," I answered cryptically.

She snarled and made a quick decision to sweep my feet out from under my body to get to Jacob. I stepped easily aside and released my "prey" at the same time.

"Now."

It was all I needed to say.

My voice echoed through the quarry and Jacob phased before his feet hit the ground. I dodged out of the way and leapt into Victoria's path at the same time, appearing in front of her just as she turned to try and run back through the trees. My hands shot out to grip her arms and to stop her. Shock and confusion filled her mind, even as she twisted out of my hold and made a high leap into the branches not far behind us.

Fortunately, even as her thoughts tried to unravel how I'd been able to stop her initial escape, she pictured in her mind exactly where she was going to next. Before she'd made the leap from one tree to another, I was waiting at the base, pushing against it with both hands.

_We're here, Edward. _

Jasper's thoughts were a welcome relief, as I tried to anticipate the next few moves my opponent would make. I could see myself, Jacob and Victoria through my family's thoughts as they pulled themselves up from the edge of the quarry one by one.

The tree beneath my fingers gave way and began to fall, but Victoria registered the scent of the others arriving and hurled herself from her perch.

"Jacob!" I yelled, knowing he was closest to where she would land. I could only hope he'd make it there before she could alter her course again. He did.

She rolled to the ground and stood up only to be captured by his teeth around one of her ankles. Suddenly Emmett and Rosalie were on either side of me while I watched. Carlisle and Esme were opposite us, Jasper and Alice to the right on the edge of the quarry.

"Hey," Emmett said.

"Hey," I answered back.

We moved closer to Jacob and Victoria, but I stopped everyone from getting too close.

"We need to keep a perimeter. She's too quick."

Emmett agreed just as Victoria managed to flip over and get her arms around Jacob's neck.

"Don't let her– " Jasper began to shout, but it was too late.

I leapt into action, grabbing Victoria from behind as she tightened her hold and cut off Jacob's air supply. My arms slid under hers and lifted up to grip her head between my palms. I squeezed and twisted her head, causing her to instinctively reach up to stop me. Jacob staggered back, taking a few short breaths and mentally assuring the rest of the pack that he was okay.

Seth, Embry and Quil arrived within seconds and together with Jacob, they surrounded us. Their teeth bared and growls ominous, they waited for an opportunity to get to her without accidentally taking me apart. I was grateful for the consideration.

_Let her go. _

The pack mind spoke as one, never taking their eyes off of the fiery red-head who'd plagued their community for the last three and a half years. Not surprisingly, she'd figured out that we were working together and fought harder to escape, throwing both of us to the dirt in the process. My family tensed. The wolves' hackles went up and their growls grew louder.

_Dammit, Cullen!_

"I'm working on it!" I shouted, rolling and trying not to let her gain any leverage.

Fortunately, I had the benefit of reading Victoria's mind and seeing our scuffle through nearly a dozen eyes. To a human the input would have been dizzying, but for me it gave me the advantage I needed and it wasn't long before I righted myself. I stood up with Victoria pulled against my chest, her arms held tightly behind her back. She thrashed and kicked in response, shrieking when my hold on her started to tear one of her arms from its socket.

Abruptly, her arms and legs went nearly limp and I felt all the fight go out of her. In its place, grief –overwhelming and debilitating- filled her mind. Her every thought slowed to a halt and all she saw in her mind's eye was her lost mate. It took me a moment to realize what was happening.

I met Jasper's eyes and he nodded once. I acknowledged him silently and pushed Victoria to her knees. She didn't try to stop me.

"It will be over soon," I said softly, my eyes meeting Jacob's. He was confused by my tone, but understood the implication.

I released my hold on Victoria's wrists and lifted her arms out to her sides. She flinched and pulled back, resisting only briefly before Jasper unleashed a new wave of loss and anguish on her. Her breath caught and she allowed me to lift her arms higher. Embry and Quil each took a wrist in their jaws and I stepped back. Jacob moved forward ominously and then, just before he opened his mouth to reveal his glinting white teeth, Victoria looked up into his eyes.

_Please... _

It was the last thought she had before she knew no more.

~(~)~

Just before dawn, with the stench of smoke still lingering in my nostrils, I crept silently back into my beloved's apartment. My muddied shoes were left by the door. My torn and tattered jacket was tucked away in the hall closet to be disposed of later. I spent a few minutes in the bathroom, cleaning the dirt and debris from under my nails and the dust off of my face and neck. I wished I'd had time to clean up properly —especially considering my hair was beyond hopeless without a shower– but as late as it was, I was only able to make sure there were no obvious signs of tonight's fight left on me before returning to Bella.

Settling on the floor next to her bed, I watched her studiously until she woke. I took extra care to memorize the exact position of each freckle on her nose, the arch of her brow, the shape of her lips. I took note of the different shades of brown and gold in her hair, as well as the feel of it between my fingers. I committed both the breaths she took and the beats of her heart to memory –cherishing the rhythm of the latter as if it were my own. I wished that I could capture the comfort they gave me and keep it with me in the coming days. I was not looking forward to our separation for a host of reasons, some of them made more clear to me after tonight.

Tonight I'd seen the madness of a vampire who'd lost her mate. In Victoria's mind I'd seen both the hate and anger she held for those responsible for James' destruction, but also a loss so devastating, an agony so great, that it should have been incapacitating. Buried beneath her quest for vengeance, it finally broke through in her final moments and it had shaken me to the core. Her loss was much like the emptiness I'd felt walking away from Bella five years ago, only a billion times over. It was shocking. I'd never believed a vampire as feral as Victoria to be capable of such a strong emotional connection. So strong in fact, that when the moment finally came, it was almost a relief to her.

But now I was plagued with thoughts I didn't like.

I could relate to Victoria. If I ever lost Bella, it would be a relief to me as well and I began to wonder what would happen to me when the inevitable day came. A bubble of agony rose in my chest and stayed there, a pressure that was almost physically painful. Even as Bella turned onto her side and slid her arm out across the sheets, I felt no relief.

"Edward," she sighed. Her soft smile followed, and despite my grief, I answered it with one of my own. Bella's eyes remained closed however, and her heart beat at a steady pace until she moved her arm again and flexed her hand.

After a few minutes she sighed again and her eyes fluttered a little.

"Edward?"

"Over here, sweetheart."

She smiled sweetly and blinked, shifting closer to the end of the bed nearer me and closing her eyes again.

"Hi," she whispered softly, as she reached out her hand. Her fingers bumped my face, but I quickly caught them in my own.

"Hi," I whispered back.

"Did you just get back?" she asked sleepily.

"Yes," I answered, placing a kiss against her knuckles.

Her eyes opened and then closed again as she sighed. "What time is it?"

"Not quite six. You can sleep longer if you'd like."

"I can sleep on the..." She yawned, "...the plane."

I stifled a laugh as she drifted back to sleep despite her protests. Fifteen minutes later, she'd only just begun muttering in her sleep again when her cell-phone rang loudly, the chime of her morning alarm blaring.

"Nooo..." she complained, frowning.

I chuckled even as I stood to turn the alarm off for her.

"Ha ha ha," she mumbled. "Laugh at the tired human. Very nice."

My laughter increased as I returned to her side and joined her on the bed. She snuggled into me immediately, taking up her favorite position.

"Was there a reason you wanted to get up this early? We don't have to leave for a few more hours."

She yawned again. "I just wanted some time with you. I wasn't counting on waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep."

I tensed a little. "Bad dreams again?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Same one too, for the most part."

"Will you tell me about it now?"

She shook her head defiantly. "It's not a big deal."

"It kept you up again."

She popped her head up to look at me, her eyelids still heavy with sleep. "Maybe what kept me up was wondering where you'd run off to," she said, trying to be playful. There was a hint of strain in her voice that told me she was mostly serious.

I sighed. "I'm sorry, love. Something unexpected came up. I wasn't planning on being gone all night."

"Everything okay?"

I smiled. "Better than okay."

She searched my eyes, a doubtful look on her face. I chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Always so suspicious."

She shook her head and looked down. "Sorry, it's just... you do have a tendency to want to shelter me from things."

_Suspicious and intuitive._

"I just don't want you to worry needlessly," I said instead.

"But see? I worry, because I think you're keeping things from me. I don't want to think that way, but it's difficult considering you're often less than forthcoming about things. Especially where you go and what you do when we're apart." She sighed and rolled her eyes, "Which just makes me sound like a ridiculously insecure and possessive person."

I lifted her chin. "Feel free to be as possessive as you like. I'm yours. Entirely."

"Sweet-talker," she grumbled just before I touched my lips to hers. I pulled away quickly, earning another frown from her.

"I'm sorry, love, but I do have something to tell you and I wouldn't want to be _less than forthcoming_."

Again, she frowned and I had to laugh. She really wasn't a morning person.

"Would you like some coffee first?" I chuckled, sitting up and pulling her into my lap.

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around my neck. "Nope, just start talking."

"Okay then," I said, smiling softly. "Victoria's dead."

She blinked and her eyes went wide. "Wait, what?"

"Victoria. She's gone. She's not coming back," I said softly, watching her reaction.

She opened her mouth to say something a few times before settling on one word.

"How?"

"Alice saw something a few days ago that gave us some information on Victoria's whereabouts. We've been meeting with some of the wolves since then to pass information along and talk strategy. Last night, Victoria happened to be doing some scouting of her own and came across their scent. She followed the trail right to us."

Bella gasped. "Is everybody alright? The boys?"

My smile hid the disappointment I still felt sometimes at the depth of her attachment to her shape-shifting friends. "Everybody's fine. Jacob, Embry, Quil and Seth are all fine."

"And your family?"

"Not a scratch on th–"

"Wait, did you say Seth?" she interrupted, her voice rising in pitch.

"Yes," I answered, again watching her for her reaction. She paled and her breathing accelerated.

"Seth was there? He fought _her_?" she croaked.

I wanted to laugh at the expression of shock on her face but restrained myself. "He never got a chance to fight. Although he did set the fire."

Bella sat back and looked at me with huge eyes, her mouth partially open.

This time I did laugh, albeit softly. "Victoria never had a chance, Bella. It was eleven to one."

Bella's eyes fluttered closed and she slumped against my chest slightly. She took several deep breaths, I assumed in order to calm her pounding heart. It continued to race, only slowing slightly before she began to tremble.

I looked down just in time to see a single tear run down her cheek.

"Bella?" I asked, gently raising her chin. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head and twisted in my arms until her knees rested on either side of my hips and her chest was flush against mine. Her arms wrapped around my neck tightly and she buried her face in my neck.

I froze beneath her, shocked at the way her body was suddenly wrapped around me. I had to stop breathing. The trembling of her muscles caused enough friction between us without me adding to it.

"Bella?" I managed to squeak out. I tried to pry her arms away from my neck so I could move her back a bit. "Please, love? Look at me. What's the matter?"

She loosened her arms, but her cheek pressed into my neck, her hot breath washing over me. My hands gripped her hips perhaps too forcefully as I picked her up and moved her backwards on my legs. Making small circles with my thumbs, I prayed that I hadn't bruised her. She raised her face and looked at me curiously and then down at my hands on her hips.

"Oh," she said, a deep blush blooming on her tear-stained cheeks. "Sorry," she whispered, as I tried to discreetly shift my hold to her waist. It wasn't really discreet at all and Bella's lips twitched. "Sorry," she repeated.

I grinned softly. "No, it's fine. I just..." I sighed. "You surprised me. Now, can you tell me why the tears?" I asked, choosing to change the subject.

Bella smiled ever so slightly and shrugged. "I don't know. I just lost it. I guess I'm..." She paused, shaking her head. "I'm relieved. I didn't realize how much that had been weighing on me."

"I'm sorry for not saying anything to you sooner about what was going on, though to be sure, Victoria showing up out of the blue last night was an unexpected windfall."

Bella nodded and then drew her brows together. "Is this why you said you couldn't come with me to Virginia? Is Victoria the real reason you're staying here this weekend?"

I stroked her cheek with my thumb. "No, love. I promise you. What Alice originally told you weeks ago about the weather and the questions we would face were all very true. This most recent vision just hit her a few days ago, and in our minds it simply explained why Alice hadn't been able to see me accompanying you to the wedding."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know how to bring it up without making you worry. We weren't expecting to be able to deal with the situation until after tomorrow at the earliest, and I didn't want it to be any harder for you to get on that plane by yourself."

"I wouldn't have wanted to go."

"I figured you might say something like that," I grinned.

She smiled, lifting one of her small, delicate hands to run it through my hair. "You figured right. But just so you know, I am a little mad at you."

My eyebrows lifted in surprise. "You are?"

"Yes," she said with a sad smile. "I know you, Edward. You were going to let me leave without telling me about any of this and I would have been out there in Virginia, completely clueless."

She waited for me to deny her words, but I couldn't. At least not entirely.

"That was never my first choice, but I won't lie and say the thought didn't cross my mind."

She sighed. "Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?"

I met her eyes. "Probably about as good as it makes me feel to think that you don't trust me."

"That's not what I said. It's just that there are different kinds of trust. I trust you. I really do. I know you'd never hurt me and that you'd do anything to protect me, even if you think I wouldn't like it. But that's where the catch twenty-two is for me."

I nodded. "I understand, and you're right. I would do anything to protect you. I'm certain that's why I've been struggling all week with how to tell you about everything. I wanted the right moment and the right words. I wanted to prevent you from feeling guilt or fear. And I really wanted to make sure you'd be getting on your plane today."

She lowered her forehead to mine. "I wish you'd just confided in me."

"I know. I am sorry."

"So what _was_ your plan? What would you have told me if Victoria hadn't shown up last night? If you hadn't actually caught her?"

I shook my head and quirked a smile. "I honestly have no idea. I'm sure I would have been in the doghouse in any event."

She sat back and cocked an eyebrow up. "The doghouse? Really?"

Soon, we were both laughing at the irony of my words. When our laughter abated, Bella took a deep breath and ran her thumb over my bottom lip.

"You really lucked out last night, didn't you? No more Victoria... No more angry girlfriend..."

"Oh, no?" I asked, moving her hand away and lifting my lips closer to hers.

She shook her head slightly. "No. You're forgiven."

"Good," I said softly before kissing her. Her lips molded to mine as they always did, though Bella kept them closed for once. I supposed she was worried about her breath like she often did in the mornings. She pulled away and though I lamented the loss, I still had some owning up to do anyway.

"Bella," I began.

"Maybe I should call Embry and Jake," she started a split second later. She stopped and looked at me. "Sorry. What were you going to say?"

"I wanted to talk to you about the rest of the weekend."

Her eyes grew bright for a moment and then I watched as she caught up with the seriousness of my tone.

"The newborns," she whispered.

"Yes. We still have a few loose ends to tie up."

Her heart began a steady acceleration. "What does that mean? What will happen now?"

I kissed her forehead and began rubbing small circles on her back. "We'll round them up and make sure they no longer pose a threat."

She blinked at me. "Just like that?"

I chuckled once. "Yes. Just like that. Without their maker, they're likely to be thrown into confusion. It's possible they could end up destroying each other before we ever get a chance to do it."

"You sound so sure about that," Bella said softly.

"I am sure. I've met a newborn or two in my time," I said, winking at her playfully. I didn't mention that I also had the benefit of Jasper's memories.

She tried not to smile. "Don't try and distract me. It won't work."

"How am I distracting you?" I defended poorly.

"You know. You're trying to keep me from worrying about this by downplaying the risk involved."

I sighed. "Bella, I'm really not. I promise you. There really is nothing for you to worry about anymore. Between Jasper's knowledge of how newborns behave in a group, and the wolves' hunting techniques, they don't stand a chance. Alice can already see that we'll be successful."

Bella frowned. "I thought Alice couldn't see anything with the boys involved."

"She couldn't see the decisions Victoria made when it involved them. With Victoria gone, Alice has been able to see the newborns much more clearly. They have no idea what's coming for them, and..." I said, pausing to take her face gently in my hands. "As soon as everything here is under control, I'll be on the first flight out. I told you that I'd be there the moment anything changed and it has."

She gasped. "But... but the sun."

I smiled and ran my thumb along her cheek. "Let me worry about that. Alice says there's a tropical storm brewing somewhere that will make it partly cloudy most of the weekend anyway."

"Really?"

"That's what she said."

"Did she see you at the wedding?"

"I hadn't really asked her. I just assumed that she would see when I made the decision. I can check with her on the timeline if you want."

Bella seemed to think about it a moment and then shook her head. "I don't know. I didn't RSVP for you, and it's sort of last minute to ask to bring a date. Maybe she should check on Jessica's reaction to a last minute addition instead. Or rather Mrs. Stanley's reaction."

I chuckled at the slight shudder she gave. "That bad, huh?"

"Do you remember her?"

"Not particularly." I never paid much attention to the humans in Forks at all until Bella came along.

Bella shook her head. "She's such a snob. And a gossip. I'm sure she's the source of any and all rumor or suspicion we'd face if you came."

"Again, why don't you let me worry about that?"

"Will you even make it in time? It's an entire day of flying, at least a seven hour flight."

"Am I only invited for the wedding? You were staying until Monday, were you not?"

Bella's lips threatened a smile. "Yeah, I was. It was cheaper that way and I was supposed to be able to spend Sunday with Caroline."

"Oh," I said, surprised. I hadn't thought about her having any obligations past the wedding.

"It's just that her grandparents are taking her to Disneyworld while Jess and Nick are on their honeymoon, but they weren't planning to leave until Sunday evening. You know, so they could drive while she was sleeping? I offered to stay and wear her out for them while they rested for the drive."

I smiled at her selflessness to hide my disappointment. "Then perhaps I shouldn't go after all."

Bella shrugged. "I'd like you to. I just had it in my head that you wouldn't be able to. And I didn't want to..." Her voice fell to a whisper. "I don't want to get my hopes up."

I sighed and pulled her closer. "From the look on your face right now, I'd say it was too late for that."

She gave me a watery smile and wrapped her arms around my waist. "Maybe."

"Then maybe I'll just have to do what I must to make sure you aren't disappointed."

~(~)~

* * *

**End Notes:**

_So there you have it. The return of What Drives Her. There are still a few (um, a dozen or so) loose ends for the Cullens and Quileutes to tie up, so I'll be back with that soon. Initially, the newborns and Victoria were meant to be dealt with all in one chapter, but our favorite flame-haired villain surprised even me. ;-) _

_The next chapter is already halfway written. Although battle scenes are a bit draining, I'd like to say the next update shouldn't be more than two weeks. Hopefully next week if I can keep this momentum up. Encouraging reviews do help, but if you leave one, please know FF is being difficult and replies have been down for some time. If you don't hear from me, it's not that I don't love you!_

_~(~)~  
_

_What Drives Her was nominated for a __**Faithful Shipper Award **__between the last update and now. I didn't win, that honor went to the amazing __**TKegl **__for her incredible story, __**"Beyond Time**__", and if you haven't read it, you really should. I just wanted to say thank you so much to the person(s) who nominated me! Beyond Time is here: www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5755522/1/Beyond_Time  
_

_Currently however, this story is nominated for __**A Sunflower Award**__ for __**Best Vampire Story**__! __Voting is open until May 25__th__, so if you love What Drives Her and are of the inclination to vote, I'd appreciate the love! Thanks again to the person(s) who nominated me! Vote at: www(dot)thesunflowerawards(dot)blogspot(dot)com/_

_See you all soon! ~Ginnie_


	28. Chapter 27: Loose Ends

**Author's Note:**

_I'm back! And in less than two weeks!_

_I have so many thanks and things to say this time, so there's a monster note at the end, but for now I wanted to mention the following: This chapter was written by someone (me) who has read both the Bree Tanner novella, as well as a big chunk of The Twilight Saga: Official Illustrated Guide. Some of the details alluded to at the end of the chapter might make more sense if you've read them as well, however if you haven't, don't worry. I tried to make the chapter stand alone as much as possible. Just feel free to PM me if you have burning questions. _

_As always: __**Twilight, all its characters, sequels, & the Official Guide belong to the lovely Ms. Stephenie Meyer; Volvo belongs to some Chinese motor group that bought them from Ford; and the rest is just my imagination.**_

* * *

**Chapter 27:**

"**Loose Ends"**

Bella seemed content with my promise to make it to the wedding if at all possible and rose quickly to get ready for her flight. As it was currently Thursday morning, I knew I had roughly 36 hours to get myself on a plane to Virginia. It went unsaid that I assumed the newborns would be dealt with long before that.

Just as Bella began to close the bathroom door and take her shower, her phone started ringing. She stopped and padded back to answer it, shaking her head when she looked at the display. Apparently it was a morning wake-up call from Angela Weber, now Cheney, who was also attending Jessica's wedding and taking the same flight as Bella.

I was caught by surprise when I overheard Angela ask whether I was here and then proceeded to tell Bella to say hello to me. A fiery blush rose to Bella's cheeks in response. Obviously, she'd confided in Angela at some point recently, and although Angela seemed thrilled to hear we were together, I wondered why Bella hadn't mentioned it. Of course, when Angela sighed about how romantic our reunion was and how happy she was to see Bella well and truly in love for the first time, I forgot about my worries and simply basked in Angela's words.

An embarrassed Bella escaped back into the bathroom and turned the water on before finishing her conversation. Smiling, I went downstairs to play her grandmother's piano while she showered. Playing the lullaby I composed for her, I found myself getting to the uplifting strains sooner than usual. It was surprising but significant that Bella had told her friend about me. She was including me in her life in every way, and that made me undeniably happy.

At the same time I knew there'd be complications, like the reality of having to meet former classmates from Forks for the second time around. Angela's phone call reminded me that I'd need to ask Alice about that, but even that couldn't remove the smile from my face completely.

Bella eventually finished in the bathroom and I heard her moving around in her room for several minutes more before she opened the door and called my name.

"Edward? Can you come here for a second?"

I frowned a bit at her tone. Was something wrong?

I was up the stairs in a heartbeat and rounded the corner into her bedroom only to be met with the flash of a camera.

"What are you-?"

Her giggle stopped me short, as did another flash. "Smile!"

Bella laughed louder as I stood slightly stunned. I wasn't used to being caught by surprise.

"Come on, silly," she said, happily. "Smile. Let me see those pearly whites."

I grinned and shook my head before moving quickly to circle her in my arms. She snapped two more pictures of me before I confiscated the camera and turned the tables on her.

"Hey!" she squealed, running around her bed to get away.

"Oh, no... It's my turn now," I laughed, snapping a picture as she dove for cover behind her suitcase.

I rolled my eyes. "Bella, will you please try not injure yourself?"

She peeked up over the suitcase and I laughed as I took a picture.

"Will you please try not to take my picture?"

"You started this, love."

I snapped away, watching her cheeks turn pink.

"I'm deleting all those as soon as I get on the plane," she grumbled standing up finally.

"Well, then I'm deleting-"

"No!" she shouted lunging towards me and jumping for the camera.

I laughed loudly and pulled her into my arms, lifting her off of the ground until we were eye to eye. "Calm down, silly girl. I was just teasing."

She exhaled and relaxed. "I thought you were serious."

"I see that." I touched my lips to hers briefly and set her feet down. "Are you going to miss me?"

"Yes," she pouted.

"Is it wrong that I'm glad you will?"

She smiled softly and shook her head, reaching up to tangle her hands in my hair. "No. Will you miss _me_?"

"I already do."

She blushed and bit down on her bottom lip, her gaze darting between my mouth and my eyes. "But I'm still here."

I took the hint and tossed her little camera onto her bed before lowering my mouth to hers. Bella's lips met mine eagerly and opened slightly. I swallowed back the venom that flowed freely every time the sweetness of her taste met my tongue. She sighed softly and I wondered if she was trying as hard as I was to relish what was likely our last kiss for the next couple of days.

Already I was trying not to count down the seconds until she would have to leave my side. Already, I was struggling not to envision the meaningless hours that would crawl by without her.

Never mind that I was exceedingly glad Bella would be far, far away from the Pacific Northwest in this instance. As important as her safety was to me, I'd still miss her presence, her warmth, her touch, her taste.

A moan caught in the back of my throat as Bella attempted to get closer by pushing herself up on her toes and pressing against me. I didn't exactly pry her away. Instead, I lifted her into my arms and held her like the precious jewel she was. Breaking away from her mouth, I trailed kisses down her neck and had just inhaled her scent where it was strongest when there was an unwelcome interruption.

Bella let out a breathless protest as I lowered her to the floor. I apologized and reached for my phone with a sigh. I knew that Alice's timing was no coincidence. Scowling at the display, I wondered what she'd seen to warrant intervening. The thought unnerved me.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked quietly, straightening her hair and shirt.

"Alice," I said, retrieving the message and trying hard not to think about the cause of Bella's newly disheveled appearance.

"What does she want?"

I let out an exasperated breath and shook my head when I read the text on the screen.

"She says not to forget your MP3 player and if we don't leave right now, we'll get stuck behind an accident on the interstate."

Bella blinked. "Oh. That's all?"

I kept my expression neutral, but knowing my sister, there was more to it than that. I simply had no proof, nor saw any reason to worry Bella.

"I think so. You're more than welcome to ask her yourself."

She examined my face for a moment and shook her head. "That's okay. I believe you." Her smile was playful, her eyebrow arching slightly.

I grinned at her, looking deep into her eyes. "That's good to hear. "

She inhaled quickly, her pupils dilating and her heart steadily accelerating. Before she could fall over I pulled her to me, chuckling softly. "Exhale, sweetheart."

She did and buried her face in my chest. "You _so_ don't play fair."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware we were playing."

"Shut up, you know what you were doing."

"And what was that?"

"Dazzling me."

I laughed. "Oh, was I now?"

"Shut up," she said, trying not to smile. "You love being able to do that to me and you know it."

I couldn't deny it. "I really do."

~(~)~

For as much as Bella complained about my "dazzling" her, my ability to elicit a similar response from others benefitted her just a short hour later.

"I can't believe you got her to do that," Bella whispered as we walked away from the US Airways check-in counter. "I mean, Business Class maybe, but First Class? I mean, I didn't think they really did that."

"What?" I asked, laughing lightly.

"Upgrade people for free. That was incredible, Edward."

"Well, I wasn't going to stand there and tolerate her being rude to you. All you did was ask whether or not you could be seated next to your friend."

"Yes, but it was just a request. She didn't have to-"

"No, she didn't. But she knew that she didn't have to and she decided to laud it over you with a superior attitude. It was inexcusable."

"You have high expectations of people."

"I see through people. It's an unfortunate side-effect of my nature."

Bella stopped and put her hand on my arm. "Edward, thank you. Angela is going to flip out when they tell her. She doesn't really like to fly, so..." Her eyes were a bit glassy as she continued, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, love. They had six seats available anyway. That woman," I gestured behind to the employee in question. "...would have had to move around four people to seat you and Angela together. Though it could have been done, this was easier for her. All I had to do was point that out."

Bella looked over her shoulder at the counter again. "She must be wondering what in the world just happened. I'd be surprised if she can remember her own name."

If I could have blushed, I might have. "She'll be fine."

Bella smiled and shook her head. "I don't know. You've never been on the receiving end of that. I have, trust me."

I looked down and shifted a bit uncomfortably. "You're the only one I care to have that effect on, Bella. I simply wanted to-"

"Hey," she stopped me, reaching up to touch my face. "I know."

I lifted my head to meet her eyes. "I'd do anything for you."

"I know, Edward. I'd do anything for you too."

My gaze bore into hers while we shared a silent moment; an exchange of emotions and desires that would be otherwise inappropriate to express in public.

"I love you," she whispered finally.

I brought a hand to her neck and ran my thumb along her jaw line before sliding my fingers under her hair. Bella tipped her chin up as I leaned down. Our lips touched ever so softly, lingering for a brief moment before parting.

"I love you too," I whispered, my forehead resting against hers.

At that moment, somewhere in the buzz of thoughts around me, Bella's face and name appeared in a mind I didn't recognize. I focused and searched, eventually finding Angela Cheney's thoughts in the multitude of others. She was saying goodbye to her husband, Ben. I remembered him as a boy, but recognized the man he'd grown into. Well that, and Angela was thinking of him quite affectionately.

I stood back from Bella and dropped my hand from her hair.

"Angela's here. She'll be in in just a moment."

Bella's mouth opened a little. She looked around and then back at me. "I... Are we... Can she see you now?"

I concentrated again on Angela's mind. "I think so. She seems fairly distracted by the fact she's about to get on a plane. You're right, she doesn't like flying."

Bella stared at the sliding glass doors. "Will she be suspicious? Did Alice warn you?"

"I don't know, and no. Either way, she'll be meeting me eventually."

Bella nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." She looked back at me with a questioning gaze.

"No time like the present."

Her face relaxed. "Okay. Where is she?"

In her thoughts, I could see Angela kiss her husband one last time and then turn around.

"Over there," I pointed just before she appeared at one of the entrances.

Bella reached for my hand. "Should we go meet her?"

"I think she'd like that," I answered honestly.

"Okay," Bella said softly, raising her chin. "Here goes nothin'."

I chuckled as she stepped forward, leading me towards the check-in counter we'd left only moments before.

We arrived just as Angela started to tell the attendant there must have been a mistake with her ticket.

"It's not a mistake," Bella said tapping Angela on the shoulder.

Angela jumped and spun around. "Oh my goodness! Bella, you scared me!"

Bella giggled and hugged her friend. "Sorry," she said, happily. "I think certain people are rubbing off on me."

Angela didn't understand Bella's comment, but smiled anyway as she looked Bella over from head to toe and back again.

_She looks so good. So much healthier. Happier. Look at that smile! _

Angela spoke over that last thought. "It's okay. Have you been waiting very long?"

"Oh, no. We only just checked-in a minute or two ago. Well, I did. Um, Edward," she glanced back at me and Angela's eyes flew to me as well. "Edward walked me in."

Angela blushed and smiled shyly.

"Hello, Angela," I said, using the voice I'd always reserved for not frightening humans. Well, humans other than Bella. "It's lovely to see you again."

Angela's cheeks reddened further. "He... Hello, Edward. It's..." She fumbled for words, her voice cracking.

_Wow. Has he always been that good looking? I mean, he looks the same, but... wow. Go, Bella! _

I fought a smile. Angela seemed to be just as kind and sincere as she'd been five years ago. It warmed my heart, at least in the figurative sense, the way she ignored her initial response to my physical appearance and instead focused on how happy she was for Bella to have someone special in her life. Or more specifically, to have me. Of course, that didn't make it much easier for Angela to gather her wits.

Intuitive as ever, Bella seemed to sense Angela's predicament and distracted her.

"Did you get your boarding pass? We're supposed to be seated next to each other," she said casually.

Angela blinked and looked at Bella, and then the boarding pass in her hands. A small "V" formed between her brows.

"Um, yeah. But there seemed to be some confusion. They have me in first class."

Bella laughed. "I know. They upgraded us."

Angela sputtered and the airline employee behind her, the same one that had checked Bella in, rolled her eyes. "I'm sure we can stick you back in coach if you prefer," she said haughtily.

I shot a look at her that flustered her at once. "That won't be necessary," I smiled, though there was an edge to it.

The woman stiffened and looked away.

"Edward," Bella hissed.

My smile turned genuine and I looked down at her, then over at Angela. "I'm sorry, but if you're all set Angela, we should get you ladies to security."

Angela was unsure. _I don't know. I didn't pay for First Class._

I tried to decide how best to answer her concerns when Bella did it for me.

"It's okay, Angela. They apparently do this all the time. I thought it was only in the movies, but Edward knew just what to say to the woman to get her to move us at no charge."

Angela smiled and nodded. "Wow. Seriously?"

Bella nodded.

Angela took a deep breath and told herself it was at least one thing she had to look forward to. "Thank you, Edward. That's just... Wow. That was really nice of you."

"It was nothing," I answered. "Can I take your bag for you?" Angela had brought a wheeled carry-on.

"Oh, no. It's not heavy."

"Neither is mine, but as you can see, I lost that battle," muttered Bella, pointing to her backpack on my shoulder.

Angela giggled.

"You can have it back at security," I said, smirking.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Let's go, then."

Angela laughed again and fell in line next to Bella. "You are still as stubborn as ever, aren't you?"

"So it's not just me she's like this with?" I asked with a grin.

Angela flushed only slightly when I addressed her this time. She shook her head. "Oh no, she's like that with everyone. Well, except you got her to give in somehow. That's new."

"Angela," Bella whined.

Angela bumped Bella's shoulder and leaned in close. "He should know. You're different with him," she whispered softly.

I could almost feel the heat of Bella's blush from my place at her side. "We can talk about that later," she whispered back.

Angela nodded and glanced at me quickly.

_Yep, she's got it bad. Really bad._ _I wonder if they've... Nope, nope. None of my business. Sheesh, I've been married less than six months and my mind goes to the gutter. _

I tried to keep my expression neutral, but it was difficult. It was no surprise to me that people inevitably wondered about intimate things that were none of their concern. Even Bella's own mother had thought a great deal about what went on "behind closed doors" as she put it. Still, it wasn't a subject I enjoyed being reminded of. It wasn't possible for us and every time it came up, I only felt more certain that I was robbing Bella of a normal, happy, human life. It was for that reason that Angela's next thoughts were such a shock. And try as I might, I couldn't seem to _not_ hear them.

_Maybe she wants to wait until they get married. Except that Bella doesn't believe in marriage. Gosh, I hope she changes her mind now that she's fallen in love. I can't imagine never wanting to get married. Or not wanting to have children. _

Angela's memory of Bella saying those very words brought me up short. Had I been human, I surely would have stopped dead in my tracks –as it was I slowed noticeably. In Angela's mind I saw Bella standing next to her as though they were looking in a mirror. Eventually, I realized that's exactly what Angela was remembering: Bella standing in front of a large three-way mirror in a light blue dress that hugged her body in a way that should be illegal. Angela stood by her side in an olive-green dress that was similar in cut and material.

_"Just promise me when it's your turn that you will not make me wear this color, Bella." She wrinkled her nose and turned her eyes heavenward. "God, please let Jessica choose the blue. Or the pink. The pink was nice."_

_ Bella snickered, and shook her head. "Don't worry. I'm pretty sure Jess is going to hate that. And you have nothing to worry about from me. I don't plan on taking a turn."_

_ Angela frowned and faced Bella. "What do you mean? Of course you'll get your turn! Just because you haven't found that special someone yet-"_

_ Bella shook her head again and stopped Angela. "No, that's not what I mean. I mean that I'm not getting married. Even if I do meet that somebody, or rather, if that somebody exists at all."_

_ Angela was confused. "Wait... you're not getting married? Not ever?"_

_ Bella shook her head and turned back to the mirror. "No."_

_ "But why?"_

_ Bella sighed. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but it's just not something I need in my life. It's a piece of paper."_

_ Angela frowned. "It's much more than that though."_

_ Bella rubbed Angela's arm. "I didn't mean to upset you, Ang. It's not a critique of your choices. It's just how I feel. It's what's right for me."_

_ "What about kids? Don't you want a Care Bear of your own one day?" she asked, referring to Jessica's little girl, Caroline._

_ Bella's expression never wavered. "It's not something I've ever considered. And if at some point I change my mind, you and I both know that you don't have to get married to have a baby."_

_ A flash of white organza in the mirror caught Angela and Bella's attention and they turned to face a nervous looking Jessica Stanley. _

_ "So what do you guys think of this one?"_

Angela brought herself out of her memories as we arrived at the security check-point. I was surprised by how they affected me. I felt a profound sense of loss for reasons I couldn't even fathom.

All this time I'd thought Bella was trying to convince me that marriage and family weren't what she wanted because of me –because she believed that she couldn't have those things with me. Yet months before I was even a blip on Bella's radar, she'd been firm in her decision not to marry. She was telling me the honest truth for once, and I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about this new knowledge.

"Well, I guess you can give me my bag back now," Bella said, smiling up at me when we stopped at the end of the line.

I returned her smile and reluctantly handed over her backpack. "There you go. Do you need anything before I have to leave you?"

Bella shook her head but blushed, her eyes flickering from me to where Angela stood beside her. "I'm fine. Thank you. Um..."

Angela interrupted her, guessing the reason behind Bella's hesitancy. "I'm just going to go ahead and get in line, get my driver's license out and everything. It was nice to see you again, Edward. We'll all have to get together sometime when Bella and I get back. I'm sure Ben would love to see you and we have five years to catch up on."

"I'd like that, Angela. It was nice to see you too, and give Ben my regards when you speak to him."

"I will," she said, smiling before she turned away. When I looked down, Bella was watching me with misty eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing. You're just too perfect sometimes."

"Well, Pot. I'd like you to meet Kettle," I joked, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.

She shook her head and looked down. "Call me? As soon as anything, you know... _happens._ Please?"

I lifted her chin gently. "I will, but you've got to promise me something."

Her eyes widened slightly. "What?"

I smiled. "Promise me you won't worry yourself. That you'll try to forget everything else and just have fun with your friends."

"I- I can't promise that."

"Try. Bella, promise me you'll try."

She was silent, breathing softly in and out several times before nodding her head slowly.

"I'll try. But you have to promise me something too."

"Anything."

"Promise me you'll keep me up with what's going on. Don't keep me in the dark, Edward. I'm serious."

I sighed. "I know, and I won't."

"Do you promise?" she asked, her expression pleading.

"I promise."

She searched my eyes for another moment before taking a deep breath. "Okay. I guess I better go then."

"Yes, you should. Angela's waiting."

"I love you. I'll see you... soon?" she asked, hopefully.

"Soon," I smiled, kissing her cheek once more before letting her go.

~(~)~

The sun was shining over Cedar Falls when I arrived back at my family's home. Alice was sitting on Jasper's lap on the back deck, Carlisle was helping Esme tend a new flowerbed she'd started, and Emmett and Rosalie were wading across the river hand in hand. To look at all of them, you would never imagine that we had such a dire task ahead of us come nightfall.

I got out of the car and glanced around. In recent weeks such displays of togetherness had come to bother me less and less, but today was an exception.

Jasper and Alice came down to greet me.

"Missing your girl already?" Jasper asked, sensing my sour mood.

I shrugged. "Yes, of course."

I hesitated to say anything more.

"I wouldn't give up on her just yet." Alice said certainly. I tried to see in her mind what made her so sure.

"What do you know, Alice?"

"What happened?" asked Jasper, looking between us.

I sighed. "Nothing really. Bella just doesn't want to get married. Ever."

Jasper's eyes popped open wide in shock. I heard the same sentiment from the Carlisle and Esme, who'd overheard my words.

_He proposed?_

_ I had no idea... Oh, my goodness, she couldn't have rejected him. Why would she?_

"Wait, you asked Bella to marry you?" Jasper inquired, echoing their thoughts.

I shook my head. "No."

"Then how...?"

_You're confusing me._

I sighed and told them the entire story, concluding with Angela's remembered conversation from just a few months ago.

"If you recall, I didn't think marriage was important either. Even after Alice. I'm with her. I'll always be with her. A human institution can't change that, or make it more or less significant," Jasper said.

I nodded. "Yes, but you did eventually marry her."

"At Carlisle's suggestion."

"No, because it made me happy," Alice corrected. She smiled and thought of their wedding day.

I held my tongue. The truth was somewhere between his response and hers.

"Well, in any event," Jasper continued, glancing amusedly at Alice. "It wasn't something I needed to feel complete. But... had Ali needed to have a wedding to feel as though our bond were truly unbreakable, then I would have done it in an instant. Perhaps if Bella knew you felt a certain way about marriage, she might reconsider her own position."

I shook my head. "No. No, she's already compromising too much for me. I just didn't really know how much it would bother me..." I paused, sighing. "I didn't know that the idea of having her as my wife was so appealing to me until now. And to know that's not something she'd ever want to be to me?" I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. "I don't know, Jasper. I can't even put it into words."

Jasper looked at me thoughtfully. "Listen, Edward. The way Bella feels about marriage doesn't make the way she feels about you any less significant. She's simply from a different era. Marriage means nothing to humanity today. It's a promise too easily made and just as easily broken."

"I realize that. It will just take some time to adjust. There's already so little I can share with her."

Jasper regarded me carefully and glanced at Alice.

_It doesn't have to be that way. _

"No," I hissed. "I won't do that to her."

Alice sighed heavily. "You are so stubborn, Edward. Why won't you at least consider-"

"No!"

Jasper forced a wave of calm on me. I scowled at him. He backed off immediately.

"Okay, subject closed. What do you say we play some chess and talk strategy for tonight instead?" he asked.

"Deal," I nodded, breathing easier. "Maybe I'll even let you win."

Jasper chuckled. "One of these days I'm going to find a way to beat you all on my own."

I smirked halfway, thankful for the diversion he was providing. "Good luck with that."

"You'll see," he laughed. "Alice has a good feeling about it."

I looked at my sister curiously. She shook her head and began translating the Book of Genesis into Chinese.

I spent the rest of the day trying and failing to decipher what Alice was hiding from me. Despite that, the elaborate game of chess Jasper and I constructed provided ample distraction, and eventually served as a playground for us to come up with several possible strategies for dispatching the newborns Victoria left behind.

It proved to be somewhat of a challenge since Alice's original vision hadn't vanished completely when we killed Victoria the night before. Instead, it only became less certain. The potential ferry disaster, along with several other equally disturbing options, now came and went. As the hours passed, nothing held firm. The one exception was that it became increasingly obvious the newborns would be long gone from their current position before sunrise tomorrow.

The whole family eventually wandered into the house to discuss the challenge before us.

"And you can't pin it down any more than that, can you?" Carlisle asked Alice after she relayed the bulk of what she was seeing in her visions.

Alice shook her head. "No, I can't. Whoever's calling the shots now is all over the place. Add to that our indecision over how to handle them, and the wolves?" She sighed and turned to stare out the front window. "We're lucky I can see anything at all."

"You're doing your best, Al. Don't let it get to you," I said.

_I'll try. The only thing I know is everything I'm seeing happens at night._

. "Alice," I said at the same time she turned back around and smiled at me.

"Oh my gosh, it's so simple. Why didn't I see _that_?"

Her sudden shift from deep frustration to excitement confused Jasper and he looked between us curiously as we stared at each other.

_You two wanna share with the rest of the class?_

I grinned. "I'll let your wife explain."

"Explain what?" Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme said almost in unison. Carlisle just chuckled at their like-mindedness.

"All of the things I've seen happening with the newborns take place after dark," Alice said, excitedly. "Which means during the day, they're staying put."

Rosalie cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brow. "Huh. So basically, if we can get to them before the sun goes down, we can stop them from doing any of the things you've seen might happen."

"Pretty much. At least I think so."

Esme stood and walked towards the window. "What about the sun?"

Carlisle joined her as we all turned our attention outside. It was a beautiful day in early June. With the sun shining over the whole of Puget Sound and surrounding area, it would prove almost impossible for us to remain unseen.

Alice concentrated on our collective future. "We can manage it, if we're careful."

~(~)~

Around five o'clock, the sun still high enough in the sky to keep us home, a tired sounding Bella finally landed in Virginia. When my phone buzzed softly in my pocket, I excused myself from the family room and sought out a modicum of privacy in the woods nearby.

"Hey," Bella said as soon as I picked up. "I'm finally here." I smiled immediately at the sound of her voice.

"Hi, sweetheart. How was your trip?"

"The first leg was fine. The second, not so much. The flight from Philadelphia was pretty bumpy and Angela got sick. Well, not _sick_ sick, but she felt pretty awful."

"I'm sorry to hear that. How is she now?"

"Better. Glad to be on the ground."

"And you? How are you?"

"I'm fine. A little distracted. How's everything there?" I knew what she was really asking me.

"Everything's fine. We'll be leaving shortly to take care of those loose ends we talked about."

Bella sighed.

"Bella? I don't want you to worry. I want you to forget about anything else going on and just have fun with your friends. Spend time with Caroline, sleep in late, go to the beach –whatever puts a smile on your face."

She was quiet for moment longer. "Will you call me as soon as you're finished... you know, tying up loose ends?"

I smiled, picturing her expression and the slight shrug of her shoulders in my mind.

"I will. It could be late though, or more likely, really early where you are."

"I don't care about that. I won't be able to rest anyway until this whole mess is over."

I hated knowing her words were true. "Alright," I said.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, love."

"Well, I guess I better go. Jess is meeting us at baggage claim and I'm pretty sure you don't want to hear the squealing that will ensue."

I chuckled.

"So... until later?" she asked softly.

"Until later," I agreed. "Oh, and Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"There's a new suit hanging in my closet."

"What?" she asked, her confusion obvious.

I smiled. "Alice hung a new suit in my closet. It's taupe. She seems to think that a dark color would be too formal for an afternoon wedding outdoors."

Bella was quiet for a beat and I could hear the noise and bustle of the airport coming through the phone.

"So you're definitely going to make it?" she finally asked, her voice a whisper. "You're going to be here for the wedding?"

"It looks that way," I said, my voice light. "If you still want me there."

Bella inhaled and I could imagine the flutter of her heart and the rush of color in her cheeks. I leaned my head against a tree, missing her despite the fact she'd only been gone mere hours.

"Of course I want you to come."

"Good."

Bella sighed again and I heard a feminine voice behind her. "I have to go. Call me later."

"I will, I promise."

"Bye, Edward. I love you."

"I love you too, Bella."

~(~)~

Less than an hour later, the Cullen family left the house dressed in head to toe black, while sporting sunglasses and hoodies. The snickers and jokes about our attire lasted almost as long as the drive, which wasn't exactly short. We made our way out of Seattle, across to one of the islands, and eventually to one of the state parks on the shores of Puget Sound. Once there we parked Emmett's rebuilt Land Rover and Rosalie's BMW in the deserted lot of a campground that had been closed for renovations. From this point, we were planning to swim across the Sound to the southernmost shores of Vancouver Island, and the dozen or so newborns that were hopefully still waiting for their maker's return.

Carlisle phoned Sam Uley before we made the crossing, informing him of our location and anticipated arrival time. When he hung up, he turned to us , putting an arm around Esme's waist.

"Sam informed me that they've decided six of them will cross the strait, and three will stay back. Sam's wife had her baby just this morning, so he's understandably reluctant to send the whole pack should one of the newborns escape us."

"Which of the wolves are coming?" Emmett inquired.

"I didn't ask. Jacob will be leading them though. Sam is staying with his wife and son."

"I can't blame him," Esme said, a tender look on her face. Faded memories of her own infant son flickered in her mind.

Carlisle nodded and placed a soft kiss at her temple. "We should go," he said, his sigh heavy, along with his heart.

I met his eyes, but it was Jasper who spoke up. "We don't have a choice in this, Carlisle. They've already been far too indiscreet. If we don't handle it, someone else will," he reminded him.

"I know," our father answered. "It still doesn't make me relish the idea."

I nodded in agreement and checked my phone once again before heading towards the water. At the last minute, I sent a "thinking of you" text message to Bella and then turned off the device.

"Ready?" Alice asked. I nodded and she held up several Ziploc bags. "Here everyone, for your phones, wallets, etcetera."

"Awesome," Emmett said taking his baggie. "Let's do this thing."

"Emmett," Esme admonished. "This is serious."

"Sorry, Mom," he said, shrugging before he met my eyes.

_Don't tell her I said this, but unlike last night, you won't be having all the fun this time around. _

"Don't get cocky, Emmett."

_Spoilsport, _he thought, heading to the water's edge with Rosalie at his side.

Esme followed behind them, Carlisle at her side. Jasper stood stoically, waiting for Alice. She searched the immediate future and then took his hand.

"The coast is clear. We can go now."

Together with Jasper, the three of us followed the others as they stepped into the cool water and dove below the surface without making a sound.

Skimming the pebbled bottom, each of us let the air out of our lungs slowly so as to more easily stay below the surface. The water was easy to see through at this point, enough light from the surface still available to break through the pollution and sediment that would eventually impede even our perfect vision. Any marine life we came across scattered as we continued our journey, and when I caught the thoughts of some nearby fisherman using a radar device to find schools of fish, I directed my family to swim in the opposite direction.

Only a few miles out from the shore and nearly one-hundred feet below the surface, Alice slowed and then stopped swimming as a vision hit her. Jasper felt her emotions change immediately and turned to look at her. He swam close and pulled her towards him, looking around until he found me in the murky water. I held a hand up, indicating for him to wait.

_What is it?_

_ What's happening, son? _

_ Seriously? Now?_

I frowned at Rosalie's thoughts.

Fortunately, it wasn't long until Alice blinked as the vision passed. Jasper looked into her eyes and lifted his chin towards the surface. She nodded and kicked up, the rest of us following behind one by one.

When we broke the surface, I instinctively checked around to see if we would be noticed. It was twilight now, and while the sun had dipped down behind some clouds off on the horizon, it was still light enough for seven heads to be seen bobbing in the water. Fortunately, other than some driftwood, we were completely alone at the moment.

"What did you see?" Jasper asked quietly, he himself looking across the surface of the water for any possible threat.

"The one Victoria left in charge...," Alice said in a rush, pausing only to wipe some water from her lips, "He's decided to leave the rest of the newborns alone to go find her. I'm not 100% sure how many of them are left now, but all of them are volatile even with supervision. Without it... By the time we get there, several of them will likely have gone off to go hunt and the others will have started fighting amongst themselves."

"Where are they now? Same place?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes. The house I saw before."

"Is there any chance we can still get there before they leave?" Carlisle asked.

Alice shook her head. "I don't think so. We're likely to have some stragglers to round up."

"Great," Jasper groaned.

I made a similar sound.

Rosalie turned to start swimming again. "Well then, let's get moving. You guys are wasting time talking."

"I'm with her, "Emmett agreed.

Wordlessly, we all resumed our journey with renewed speed and purpose. I pushed ahead, getting in front of Rosalie and Emmett who weren't exactly sure which way they were supposed to be going. Soon we made it within sight of the Vancouver Island and the thoughts of the wolf pack pricked my consciousness. Not surprisingly, Alice's visions seemed to disappear around the same time.

_Here we go, _she thought when she realized what was happening.

Ten minutes later, we found them waiting among the trees not far from where we'd just come ashore. Jacob stepped forward first, leveling us with an intense gaze. I wondered for a brief moment if we were right back to square one despite last night's events, but then he lowered his head slightly when Carlisle stepped forward to meet him.

"Jacob. I hope we didn't keep you waiting long. Unfortunately, there is no time to waste this evening on pleasantries. Alice has seen that the newborns have likely begun getting restless. We should go immediately."

Jacob's eyes narrowed and the other wolves looked at each other, some nervously, some disdainfully.

_If you'd told Sam that, we could have been there by now, _Jacob thought, irritated. _ Which way are we going anyway? _

I translated Jacob's thoughts and Carlisle answered, leading all of further into the trees. The rest of the wolves gave him a wide berth.

"We're headed north, northeast. There's a house about twelve miles from here."

Jasper stepped forward cautiously. He'd already pulled his phone out and turned it back on. He held it up. "I have a map."

Jacob looked at him and dipped his head.

Jasper held the device up. "We're here. The house is here," he pointed to the small screen.

Jacob studied the phone, turning his big head back and forth several times. The others watched his thoughts carefully as well.

_Got it. We can go._

"He's got it. He says we can go," I translated.

"Very good," Carlisle said. "God's speed to each of you. Be safe."

Seconds later we were running through the dense forest, avoiding the occasional road or hilltop home. Night fell over the woods as we ran, my family in front, the wolves slightly behind. Jacob eventually grew tired of this arrangement and pushed them forward.

They had a bit of fun rushing us and weaving between mated couples to get ahead of them. Jared started singing a ridiculous rendition of the theme from the television show, Cops, by substituting the word "bloodsuckers" for "bad boys" as he sang. I glanced behind me as Jacob came up on my heels and made a face.

"Can't you make him stop?"

Jacob seemed to let out some kind of amused chortle that sounded like a cough.

_I could,_ he thought, amusedly. _But it bugs you, so I won't. _

"Very mature," I said, running faster now.

I heard Esme gasp as Jacob took a nip at my heels when he started to fall behind.

"Jealous?" I quipped, taking off at my full speed. Embry and Seth seemed amused by our exchange, but the other wolves along with most of my family, were not.

_Edward! Slow down! _Carlisle mentally shouted at me when I'd gotten quite far ahead. I slowed a bit reluctantly, but then came to a dead halt when I caught the scent of another vampire.

I searched for an unfamiliar mind, or any other sign of the vampire's location, but didn't find it.

_What's up, Cullen?_

_ What did you find, Edward?_

The others could see me now, standing still amongst the trees. I turned around, just as the wolves caught the scent as well.

_Vampire. _

_ Not a Cullen!_

_ Are you sure?_

_ Which way did it go?_

_ Hell, yes! At least we get to kill some vampires. _

I had an urge to roll my eyes. That last thought had to be Paul.

"There's been another vampire here recently," I said instead. "I don't hear anyone outside of our family, or the wolves though, so they must have gone past here."

"The question is which way?" Carlisle said.

Quil and Jared were already searching the immediate area.

_Jake, it's stronger this way, _one of them called. _ Think it's fresh too._

"The wolves think it's a fresh trail, leading away from here."

Alice spoke up. "It could be the one that went looking for Victoria."

"If it was, maybe we shouldn't let him get too far," I responded.

Jacob trotted around in a circle, sniffing the air, and then let out a yip.

_Quil, Embry, Seth, stay with the Cullens. You did good last night. Just do it again. Jared, Paul, you're with me. We're going to follow that trail. Brady?_

For the first time since we'd met up with the wolves tonight, I took note of a seventh mind. He'd been so quiet all this time. It was only now I realized he was keeping tabs on what was happening with the pack for the others that had been left behind in La Push.

_Yeah, Jake? _the one called Brady answered.

_ Just checking. Tell Sam what's going on, 'kay?_

_ Sure, sure. _

Five minutes later, I could no longer hear Jacob Black directly, but his thoughts were still present in the pack mind. The dynamics of the whole situation would have been utterly fascinating had we not been approaching an area that was surrounded by the scent of multiple vampires and even the smell of blood.

"They've killed recently," Jasper whispered.

"The driver of that garbage truck?" I asked.

"More recent than that, don't you think?"

I shrugged. "Maybe."

The three wolves in our midst decided to circle around the north side of the house, while we stayed the south. Emmett volunteered to take the west or east side with Rosalie, but Carlisle held them off. We hovered just beyond the range that they would be able to hear us, which meant using my gift to gain information.

"How many do you hear?" Carlisle asked.

"Nine."

"Where?"

"One on the roof standing watch. Two are fighting on the front lawn. The other six are in the basement. It's not their turn to hunt. Riley has been strict with them. They seem to know better than to defy him."

"He must have been Victoria's right-hand man," Jasper mused.

"How are they, Jasper?"

"I need to be closer really, but what I get right now is annoyance, jealousy, fear, and even boredom. But mostly thirst. Typical newborn thirst."

I nodded. Carlisle hummed. Esme worried about Jasper's control. And Alice tried in vain to see what was going to happen.

"The one on the roof resents that he's not able to hunt when he wants to. But he's been left in charge, so he's staying put," I added. "The two fighting, both want to replace Roof Guy. If I had to guess, the others are all very new. All I get from them are thoughts of blood and killing."

I swallowed at some of the mental images flying around.

"Yeah," said Jasper, feeling the flare in my throat as well as his own.

_Hey, Edward... If you can hear me, we've got a fresh trail on this side of the house too. Two different vamps. _

_Seth..._ Jacob thought from where he was. _Don't separate from the Cullens. We ran into a dead end, so we'll be with you in a bit. _

"Alright everybody, Seth just crossed another trail leaving the property and Jacob ran into a dead end, so they're on their way back here now. We need to move in before we're noticed or one of the stragglers wanders back."

"Okay, then. Let's move in. Edward, you'll go around to meet Seth, Embry and Quil?"

"I will."

"The rest of you. As we discussed. Three and three," Carlisle ordered.

Everybody nodded and they split up in the way we'd previously decided was most advantageous. I ran quickly, meeting the wolves on the other side of the perimeter.

"Hey, Seth," I greeted him. He gave me a wolfy grin. I smiled back and looked at the others.

"Embry. Quil."

They acknowledged me and I continued. "We're up first. There are three individuals outside of the house. Two on the lawn, one on the roof. The rest are down in the basement. Nine in total. Okay?"

They lifted their heads in a show of understanding. I led them through the trees slowly, silently, until the house was in sight. I got my first view of the vampires in question and was not surprised to see that one of them was already missing an arm. Another was missing an ear.

The fight on the lawn was picking up in intensity and a fourth vampire within the house had become curious, shouting up the stairs to find out what was going on. Roof Guy stood and jumped down. I glanced at Embry who seemed to have the same thought I did, that this was a good thing. He was distracted. In fact, all three of them were currently distracted.

"Go," I said, though they did not need my permission.

Simultaneously, they launched themselves through the trees, and in just two long strides they were already tearing apart the fighting vampires. An arm flew past my head a moment before Roof Guy landed in a heap at my feet.

He growled ferociously and got up to charge at the wolves, but I grabbed him by his coat and spun him around.

"I don't think so," I said calmly.

_What the- _

"Who the hell are you?" he shouted.

I didn't answer. In silence I removed his head from his body and then began disassembling the rest of him in a way that would make it impossible for him to heal before we could start a fire. He never saw it coming. His strength would have been more than a match for mine too, but he never had a chance to react to the speed of my attack.

_Nice work, little brother. _

Jasper caught my eye, a small smile on his face as he, Alice and Carlisle rushed the front door of the house. On the opposite side of the house, Emmett, Esme and Rosalie watched the back of the house for any signs of movement.

The screaming, hissing, and growling had begun. The rest of the coven now knew they were under attack. A wolf howled victoriously as the second of the two remaining vampires on the front lawn was reduced to pieces. Jacob, Jared and Paul pushed faster in an attempt to reach us before the fighting was over.

A black-haired male vampire, tall and lanky, emerged from the house just then. The overwhelmed newborn hissed and ran towards the wolves, not seeming to notice that Jasper, Alice and Carlisle were not his coven mates. Jasper moved first, grabbing the male and throwing him to the ground. Alice hopped on his back and wrenched his head from his neck.

Carlisle helped her up and spun around a moment later, dropping down to sweep the legs out from under the next vampire emerging from the front door. The blond female, who at second glance was likely of Asian descent, flipped over wildly only to have Jasper grab her by her arms and then remove them.

Alice helped him finish her off as I ghosted to Carlisle's side to face the hoard that was soon to come crashing up the stairs and out of the house.

"Incoming," I told him calmly, nodding towards the house. "Four are on their way out now."

"That leaves only one of them, right?" he said amongst the shouts, hisses, screams and snarls.

I nodded. "Yes, there is another around here somewhere. I just can't seem to pinpoint where. Nobody is thinking about him at the moment."

A howl sounded and the sound of heavy footfalls behind me told me that Jacob, Jared and Paul had arrived.

_ Mind if we join you? _

_ Look out, the varsity squad has arrived. _

I scoffed at Jared's comment even as Embry groaned and sniped back at him.

_Shut it, clown. We're almost done here already. Why don't you just pop some popcorn and watch the show?_

I laughed out loud to the bafflement of my father and siblings.

"Jacob's group is back," I informed them, as if that explained my outburst.

Just then, we heard the thunderous sound of the remaining newborns bursting up the stairs from the basement. One came out through the front door, the others broke through windows and walls to get out.

Emmett and Rosalie came around one side of the house.

"Dude, did you save any for us!" Emmett shouted.

_That's what I want to know, _Jacob thought, running up on the scene.

I might have criticized their cavalier attitude, but as it was this was shaping up to be a relatively easy undertaking.

I ducked easily when a bulky, dark-skinned vampire with bright crimson eyes charged at me. He flew over my head and rolled to a stop in front of Embry, who snapped at him. The newborn dodged Embry's attempt to ensnare him, revealing that he was quicker than he looked. He jumped up and tried to get his muscular arms around Embry's middle, but he was soon pulled off by Seth and Quil.

Jared, Paul and Jacob formed a circle around them, leaving me free to turn my attention back to my family.

To my left, Jasper weaved and ducked out of the way of two of the newborns who seemed to have come to the realization that they didn't stand a chance alone. I laughed when I saw Alice's intention to show them that Jasper was not alone either.

To my right, Emmett, Carlisle and Rosalie surrounded the final newborns that'd emerged from the basement. Seeing that they had it in hand, I began concentrating on finding the remaining member of this now destroyed coven with my extra hearing.

Instead of finding that which I sought out, I noticed the nervous thoughts of my mother instead. She was still dutifully guarding the back door of the house, but had the strangest sense of wanting to avoid something unpleasant. It wasn't fear or any other emotion, but more of a sense that she didn't want to think about whatever it was that she was thinking about.

"Carlisle!" I shouted. "Esme needs us."

He looked up at me momentarily, then turned to run.

A quick glance around told me the wolves were already gathering miscellaneous pieces of the destroyed newborns together for a fire. I left them to follow Carlisle.

"Esme, what is it? What's wrong?" I heard him ask as soon as he reached her.

In his mind I saw her image just a split second before I rounded the house. She appeared disoriented, which was definitely odd.

And then I smelled it. Another vampire.

"Where, Mom?" I asked, once at her side.

She shook her head. "I thought..." she sighed and stared into the trees. "That way, maybe?"

I saw her memories and realized, like me, all she'd caught was a scent as it blew by. She was also tipped off by the faintest feeling on her skin that something had just moved past her, but her eyes hadn't deceived her in over eight decades. Her confusion was understandable.

"Am I imagining it, Edward?" she asked.

"I don't think so. I can't pinpoint the thoughts I'm hearing, but they're definitely out there."

Carlisle looked between Esme and me, then out into the woods, concern flooding his features. "Do you suppose..." _Do we really have to go after them? _

I frowned. "I don't know. I'm not sure that, even if we did, we'd find him. There is something... _extra_ preventing me from thinking about him. Which makes it difficult to decipher his thoughts."

"You mean, as in an extra ability? A talent?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, exactly. I know there is someone out there, I can get the overall impression of a mind, but I can't focus or concentrate on it. Just like Esme couldn't see him when he got by her."

She let out a small huff.

I smiled. "It's not your fault."

"Certainly not," Carlisle agreed.

"Well," Esme said, still wanting to absolve her failure. "We should go after him nevertheless. We don't know what threat he'll pose to the humans in the area."

Carlisle looked at me. _We can at least attempt to follow his trail. _

I nodded. "We can try. Let's make sure the others are set first. Then we can go. We have at least three others to round up as well."

"Three others?" Esme asked.

"The one who's scent we crossed on our way here, and the two that left the house before we arrived," Carlisle reminded her.

We rejoined the others on the opposite side of the house, where Jasper was hesitantly explaining something to the wolves.

"–should make it look like a household accident. Like an electrical failure or ruptured gas line."

"We're burning the whole house?" Esme asked.

Rosalie walked out of the remains of the front window. "The damage inside is worse than this," she said, pointing to the mess around her. "If you can believe that."

"Newborns," Emmett joked, following her out and holding up something roughly the size of a large laptop. It was an odd shaped rectangle of black and silver. "I think this used to be a refrigerator," he said.

Jasper took it from him and sniffed it. "I only smell beer."

Emmett laughed. "Maybe it was a Kegerator*? And this," he lifted his prize again. "Resulted from the vampire equivalent of smashing an empty can on your forehead."

Jacob made a sound somewhere between a growl and a cough.

_Can we focus, please? There are more bloodsuckers we need to track down and torch. _

"Hey guys, let's move this along. We're wasting time," I said, choosing not to use Jacob's exact words. Despite that he thanked me.

_Thanks, Cullen._

I looked over at him with an eyebrow raised in surprise. "You're welcome."

_Yeah, yeah... _

As a group, the wolves and vampires alike made quick work of taking the remains of Victoria's newborns inside the house. Rosalie volunteered to tamper with the fuse box to make it look as though there had been a short. Consequently, we stacked the stony body parts nearby in order to grant credibility to what we hoped would be deemed the source of the fire.

Once everybody else was out and any sign of the struggle that had taken place outside was erased, a single match was lit. It took no time at all for the house to become completely consumed in flames.

~(~)~

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**Chapter End Notes:**

_Well? Were you surprised to meet Angela? Are y'all still hating Jacob? Bree Tanner readers: Did you catch who the mystery vamp was at the end? Where'd Riley go? And what's up with the other two stragglers? I know... I threw a lot at you in this chapter, but I hope it was a good read. FYI- The next chapter is will be in BPOV. _

_* A quick note for my non-native English speakers: A _kegerator_ is a refrigerator that has been converted to dispense beer on tap from a keg stored inside. _

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_Mega thanks to my lightning fast betas, __**Katmom**__ & __**Susie**__! Susie gets a special nod this chapter for being my insider to the airline industry. Thanks to her, Bella & Angela got to fly first class to Virginia. ;-) Muchas gracias to my pre-reader__**, farawaymomo**__, who's been with me since Chapter 2 & always gives me the most wonderful, detailed feedback even though she's in school full-time! And of course, my awesome Twilight Validation Beta,__** tmr**__- thanks for everything. I love you girls! oxox_

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**FYI:**

- - **What Drives Her: Outtakes & Extras** will have an update soon, so be sure to add it to your alerts if you'd like to be notified when it updates. You can find it on my profile page. :)

- - I've decided at the very last minute _(like today)_ to contribute an outtake or extra scene from What Drives Her to the **Fandom for Sexual Assault Awareness **compilation. If you haven't already heard of it &/or donated, you only _**have until May 31st to get your donation in**_! So if your able to, hop on over to their website and choose one of the many worthy organizations. You can choose which organization you wish to support, and donations may be made for as little as $5. _ Visit: http : / / fandom4saa(dot)wordpress(dot)com /_

- - I'm also signed up to contribute an outtake or one-shot to the **Fandom for Storms** compilation. This is a pretty cool effort because their accepting donations made to the the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and the Alabama Governor's Relief fund, among others. The donation amount is as little as $3, and your donations will help past/future victims of disasters throughout the country. You can _**donate anytime up until June 20th. **Visit: http : / / fandom4stormrelief(dot)tumblr(dot)com _

_- _- Since, I've not written the Fandom For Storms piece yet, let me know if there's anything you'd like to see. I've already had one vote for an Embry POV outtake!

_Thanks so much, Ginnie_


	29. Chapter 28: Wedding Bells

_**Um, hi! *waves sheepishly* Here I am, or rather, here is the update you've been waiting for. In case you forgot, here is a quick recap of recent events in "What Drives Her":**_

**From Chapter 27, "Loose Ends"–** _Bella left Seattle for Virginia Beach, VA, where she was to attend Jessica Stanley's wedding as the maid of honor; Angela Cheney accompanied her. The Cullens & Quileutes, having successfully caught and killed Victoria, set out together to find and destroy the newborn army she'd been creating to wipe out the wolves. Edward's promise to join Bella in Virginia when it was over was threatened by several stragglers who escaped during, and prior to, the raid on Victoria's camp._

_~(~)~_

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**Disclaimer: **_**All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended**_.

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**Chapter 28: **

"**Wedding Bells"**

_BPOV-_

Saturday arrived. The sun made its debut over the grey-blue waves of the Atlantic. Groggy girls pulled themselves out of bed at an ungodly hour. Showers were taken. Breakfast was picked at. Coffee was poured, and poured again. With each step forward, I was waiting on Edward, waiting for my phone to ring.

It had been less than twenty-four hours since I'd heard his voice, since he'd last told me not to worry, but that did little to settle my sense of unease. My fingers were literally twitching to reach out and check my phone for another message of some kind. It wasn't like I'd done it countless times last night, or since I woke up this morning. It wasn't like each time made it harder not to think the worst. It wasn't as if I hadn't already been distracted enough by the knowledge of what was likely going on back in Seattle in my absence.

Oh no, as if I weren't worried enough, now my stupid vampire boyfriend has decided to go MIA.

"Bella? Relax, honey. I'm sure everything's fine."

I smiled at Angela, who was getting her hair curled and pinned up similarly to mine. Jessica was in the next room, talking animatedly with the stylist who was doing her hair, a friend and colleague of hers. In fact, everyone here was a colleague of Jessica's. Her fellow stylists from the salon where she now worked had volunteered to get up early and come to the hotel to style everybody's hair the way Jessica wanted. They were supportive and gracious, and it was nice to see she'd found a place where she'd been not only accepted, but embraced.

Caroline giggled nearby, and I shifted my gaze to make sure she wasn't getting into any trouble. It was almost surreal to be with her again. I hadn't realized how much of my heart that little girl had managed to capture until I saw her again. Edward had done such a good job of filling the vast emptiness that had been there for so many years, that I hadn't noticed the loss of the little piece of me that left with Jessica's child. I couldn't help but wonder if I would notice it all the time from now on.

Shaking off that thought, I took a deep breath. I couldn't think about the condition of my heart at the moment. Not when I didn't have a clue as to where Edward was or what he was doing. I decided immediately that if Alice had anything to do with this mysterious silence, I was going to kill her. Or I would get Embry to do it for me.

Since I didn't really savor the idea of any more actual violence taking place, I contemplated grabbing my phone and reading Alice the riot act via text message instead. Part of me hoped that she would get a glimpse of that decision and call me, but my phone stayed silent.

"You seem tense," the girl styling my hair commented.

"Sorry," I said quietly, making an effort to roll my shoulders back and relax.

I saw her smile kindly in the mirror and smooth another section of hair as she wrapped it around the curling iron.

"Just keep breathin'," she said in her slight southern accent. "I know Jess said you hate this sorta thing, but you're really very beautiful. The hair, make-up, and dress are all just icin' on the cake."

"Thanks," I said softly. I couldn't tell her the hair, make-up and dress made me feel exposed and paranoid; like everybody would be watching me. Which, for at least a few minutes today, would be true.

The stylist laughed, and patted my shoulder. "Relax your shoulders, sweet pea. I need room to work."

I sighed and stretched out for her, willing my tense muscles to cooperate. I tried to concentrate on all the positive things about today. I tried to think about the good news Edward gave me when he woke me up yesterday morning, but that only made me remember the bad news he'd left me with. He'd insisted that it wasn't really bad news, just another loose end or two to tie up. Or in this case, to tear up and incinerate.

A shiver ran through me. That had to be why he still wasn't here. What else was I supposed to think? Had something gone horribly wrong? It was the one question I'd been refusing to ask myself all morning, and yet, somehow I couldn't stop thinking about it either.

I got another sympathetic smile from Angela when I started shaking my foot rapidly. I smiled back.

She had been my saving grace during the hustle and bustle of the last two days. Rescuing me time and again from allowing Jessica to see how preoccupied I'd been. Fortunately, the last minute business of preparing for her wedding had kept her from having too much extra time to reflect on anything. When we had found a little free time, she spent all of it interrogating my newfound love life.

_ "Shut. Up!" Jessica squealed, looking at me with wide eyes and gaping mouth. Caroline looked at her and then at me. _

_ "Mommy said a bad word."_

_ "I know, sweetie," I said. "She didn't mean it."_

_ "Jessica, this is exactly why she didn't tell you," Angela giggled. _

_ "Shut up!" Jessica repeated. "Edward Cullen? Edward, never-gave-anyone-the-time-of-day, Cullen!"_

_ "Mommy, you don't say shut up. S'not nice."_

_ Angela laughed and told Caroline she was very smart, but I just groaned and put my head down on the table. _

_ I knew we wouldn't get through lunch without this coming up. We were lucky to have gotten through the morning. Still, Chili's Bar & Grill wasn't exactly where I imagined having this conversation with Jessica. _

_ At least they had all-day happy hour. _

_ "I think I'm going to need a margarita after all, Ang," I mumbled against my arms. _

_ Angela patted my head. "I'll order you two." _

_ While I waited for her to say something else, Jessica grew silent, which made me nervous. When I finally looked up, she was staring at her engagement ring, twirling it around. _

_ "What?" I asked, preparing myself for anything. _

_ She shook her head, but her mouth broke out into a smile. "Edward Cullen... just, wow."_

_ I sighed. _

_ She looked at me then. "Why didn't you think you could tell me about this, though, Bella? I mean, yes, I would have probably broken both our phones screaming, but jeez. He's..."_

_ "I know. Edward Cullen," I finished for her. _

_ "This is huge," she said dramatically. "Like, write a book about it and make into a movie huge. Stuff like this just doesn't happen in real life."_

_ "Stuff like what?" I asked. _

_ "Oh, please. I know you had a thing for him back in high school. And okay, yeah, I know I said he never gave any of the girls in school a second look, but that wasn't exactly true. He did used to look at you. Stare is more like it, and while I always thought it was a little creepy, who knows..." She shook her head, her curls bouncing. "Maybe he carried a torch for you, too. Even way back then."_

_ I almost choked on my ice water. _

_ "You okay, Bella?" Angela asked, patting my back from her seat next to me. _

_ "O'tay, Bewwa?" Caroline mimicked. _

_ I nodded and tried to recover by smiling at her. _

_ "So," Jessica said, when Caroline was busy coloring again. "This whole time? Ever since we talked in the phone right after I moved out here? That whole time it's been Edward? Edward Cullen is your secret boyfriend?"_

_ My face burned with heat. "Yes."_

_ "Ohmygod!" Jessica shouted quite suddenly. _

_ "What?" I asked, looking around quickly to see how many people were staring. _

_ When I looked back, Jessica was pointing at me. _

_ "You said you were in love with him. That day we talked. You told me you loved him."_

_ "Um, yeah."_

_ "Well, does that mean he loves you too?" she demanded, leaning forward._

_ I blinked, surprised by both her question and her unabashed enthusiasm. "Um..."_

_ "The answer to that question," Angela interrupted when she saw I was having trouble forming words. "...is yes. He definitely loves her. A lot."_

_ "Ang," I whined. _

_ "What? He does." She turned to Jessica. "You should have seen the way he was looking at her when we were at the airport, Jess. I mean, I can see that Ben loves me every time he looks at me, and the way Edward was looking at Bella?" She pointed to me. "It was just like that. Even more so. It was something special." _

_ "Oh. My. God. I can't believe it," Jessica breathed. "Bella Swan... little, shy, smarty-pants Bella."_

_ I was starting to regret this topic more and more. I was even starting to regret wanting Edward here to begin with. My own friend was about to confirm what I already knew to be true. I just wasn't in the same league as Edward._

_ To my surprise, Jessica said the opposite of what I thought she was going to. _

_ "You tamed the beast, Bells," she said smiling. "You, our sweet little, unassuming Bella. You totally snagged one of the world's hottest hotties and got him to fall in love with you!"_

_ I looked over at Jessica's beaming face in shock._

_ "I'm so proud!" she shrieked and brought her hand to her chest dramatically. She then waved the other in front of her eyes as though she were trying not to cry. _

_ "What's wrong, Mommy?" Caroline asked innocently. _

_ Angela and I busted up laughing, and soon Jessica joined us, followed by Caroline who was just laughing for the sake of laughing. When our giggles died down, Jessica took a long sip of her drink and then tented her hands in front of her on the table. _

_ "Alright, girlie, now that this fine tidbit of information is out there..." Her eyes narrowed and she grinned. "Tell me everything."_

And so the real interrogation began.

Where had Edward gone when he left Forks? What was he doing back in Seattle now? What did he do for a living? Did he ever play his music for me? Was he still in school? Was he still hot?

Angela had answered that one immediately. A fact, in and of itself, that almost had me choking again. _"Hotter," she'd said. _

It was Angela's voice now that broke my reverie.

"What are you thinking about over there? That's the first real smile I've seen all morning."

I shook my head, surprised when my smile grew. "Nothing really, just lunch yesterday."

Angela laughed softly. "Definitely one to remember."

I stood up and moved next to her in the full length mirror. My hair and make-up were exactly the same as hers, and I was flabbergasted that the only significant difference I could see between our appearances was our height.

"Wow. Jessica's friends are really good at what they do," I said quietly.

"Yes, they are, but it helps to have something so lovely to work with in the first place," she said, bumping my shoulder with hers.

I felt my face flush and I looked away from the mirror.

"Come on, bashful one. Time to head down to the bridal suite."

Thirty minutes later, in a small ground-level room that the hotel set aside specifically for brides getting married on the beach, Angela and I watched on as Jessica's mother zipped her into her long white gown. It was a low V-neck with an empire waist and a pleated skirt that had a somewhat Grecian look to it. Similar in style and material to the knee-length, raspberry bridesmaids' dresses we wore, it could best be described as breezy but elegant. It was just about perfect for an outdoor ceremony.

The click of a camera shutter nearby made Jessica smile. She was in heaven it seemed, loving all the attention and compliments paid to her today. She chattered away with the four other bridesmaids in the room as they fawned over her –all cousins of hers or her fiancé's. In the end, it was my eyes, and Angela's, that she sought out for approval when she was finally ready to go.

"How do I look?" she asked, her usually bubbly confidence faltering just a bit.

"You look beautiful, Jessica," I answered honestly.

"You're a vision, sweetie," Angela reiterated.

Jessica's eyes glistened as she looked down at little Caroline in her own white dress with its raspberry colored sash and bow.

"How does Mommy look, Care Bear?"

Caroline clapped her hands. "Like a pwetty, pwetty, pwincess."

Jess inhaled and blinked back tears, nodding as she looked around the room. "Alright then. I think I'm ready to go meet my prince. Is it time yet?"

"I'll go find out," Angela smiled.

As Angela walked out the door and I stepped into my confounded strappy sandals, I felt my stomach dip with a sudden realization.

Edward wasn't going to make it.

The thought made my heart dip and then race. It pounded away in a mix of disappointment and plain old nerves as the flowers were passed around and Jessica's veil put in place. I felt tears threatening my own eyes, so I knelt down to fawn over little Caroline and play a round or two of "thumb war" with her.

Angela returned shortly, but I was lost inside my own head, thinking about Edward. Even though I could hear her talking to Jessica in the background, I kept my attention on the three year old in front of me for fear of losing control over my emotions.

"We have about twenty minutes until you walk down the aisle," Angela said to Jessica.

"Oh, God, that's too much of a wait. I'm starting to get nervous now. Can we start early?"

Angela laughed softly. "Well, you could, but not all of your guests are here yet. Just breathe."

"My head is starting to hurt. I skipped my coffee this morning and it's too late for it now."

"I don't think you need the caffeine anyway," Angela said teasingly.

"Sure, sure. Pick on me now that I'm a nervous wreck. Mom? Do you have any Tylenol or Advil?"

My mouth quirked up when I heard Jessica use the phrase she'd picked up from me over the years. It made me think of Jake and Embry, and I wondered how they were feeling now that the threat to La Push had been all but eliminated. I wondered how they were feeling after destroying Victoria. Had it been a relief or were they, like Edward, seeing it as a necessary, but unfortunate choice? I shook my head slightly in amusement. Nope. There was no way those boys weren't happy to see her go. I well-remembered some of the nicknames they'd given Victoria before they learned her name and–

"Bella!" a grating voice interrupted my thoughts.

I blinked and turned. "I'm sorry. Were you talking to me?" I asked, looking at Mrs. Stanley in confusion.

She made a face and clucked her tongue. "Honestly, Bella. We're having a crisis here and you're daydreaming? I asked you if you would run upstairs and get the Tylenol out of my room for Jessica. You are her maid of honor, aren't you?"

I arched an eyebrow at her. "Yeesss," I said slowly, my irritation with her growing in spades. She obviously still thought of me as the shy little dormouse she'd met in Forks, and while I longed to put her in place, I didn't. I couldn't. Not on Jessica's day.

"Well, are you going to stand there until the tide comes in or go get the pills out of my room for the bride?"

_Well, maybe I could say something... _

"Mom!" Jessica shouted, saving me from having to be the one. "You can't talk to my friends like that. Especially not Bella. She's been busting her butt for me since she got here this weekend, and I know she's probably more nervous about walking down that aisle than I am." Jessica turned and lightened her face with an apologetic smile, "Am I right?"

I smiled back at her and laughed a little. "Uh, yeah. Just a little though."

She laughed; ignoring her mother's comments on how today wasn't about me. "Do you mind running back upstairs for me, Bells? Please?"

"Of course I don't mind going," I said, standing. "Did you want Tylenol? Because I have some ibuprofen upstairs as well. What do you need?"

"Whatever you can put your hands on first is fine. I really don't care as long as the pounding stops." She grimaced slightly.

"Okay, I'll be right back. Anything else?" I asked.

She shook her head that she didn't and mouthed an almost silent, "Thank you. Just hurry."

"I will."

I left the room and quickly made my way back to the lobby. I immediately went to the elevators; however a large group of guests along with several bellmen and their luggage carts were already waiting to go up. I sighed when I realized it was going to be awhile before I got on. Fortunately, I remembered that I'd seen a smaller pair of elevators nearer to the second floor ballrooms just yesterday. Looking around, the large staircase that went up to the mezzanine level caught my eye. I knew I could get to the secondary elevators from there so I made my way across the lobby as quickly as possible in the ridiculous heels I was wearing.

Just as I started hurrying up the steps, I began to feel a wave of nervous energy wash through me. At first I thought it was just my natural sense of self-preservation rebelling against me doing something as stupid as running up the stairs in heels. Of course, then I remembered how Edward told me that I had no sense of self-preservation.

_Edward..._

The thought of him made me sigh as I continued up the stairs, my hand shaking lightly in its attempt to hold on the railing. The nervous feeling from a moment ago grew in intensity and Edward filled my mind completely until I thought I could actually hear his voice gently calling my name. I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying clear it, before continuing up the stairs.

"Bella?"

I stopped and spun around.

I was certain that it was more than just my imagination this time, and wasn't surprised when blazing butterscotch eyes confirmed it.

_Edward!_

I smiled widely and let go of my shaky hold on the banister. Unfortunately, before I could register it was happening, my right foot wobbled in the strappy shoe I was wearing and I lost my balance.

I stepped down instinctively with my left leg, trying to keep myself upright. Instead of helping, the action actually caused my foot to land on the edge of one of the stairs and my ankle twisted sharply. Crying out in pain, I threw my arms out to catch myself, locking eyes with Edward just as he blurred to a stop in front of me.

I gasped when his strong arms closed around my waist and he swept me up into his arms, catching me before I could fall. He lifted me easily and I wrapped my arms in a death grip around his neck.

"I've got you, love."

I shuddered as his sweet breath washed over me. Inhaling deeply, my heart became almost painful in my chest and I began trembling from the adrenaline that coursed through my system thanks to my almost fall down the stairs.

"It's alright, Bella. I've got you."

I nearly sobbed in relief at the sound of his voice and the feel of his arms. I was thrilled that he'd made it here in time, even if it was just barely in time.

I just didn't want him to see me cry, so I leaned back a little and purposely stared into his eyes until I felt myself to getting lost in their intensity. Once I could tell I was becoming dazed, I relaxed.

"Bella?" Edward asked, looking at me curiously. "Are you alright? Are you injured?"

When I didn't answer, he brushed aside a ringlet of hair that had fallen into my face, his face growing worried. "Sweetheart, are you hurt?"

I reluctantly gave a slight nod of my head. A subtle throbbing in my ankle was becoming more noticeable.

Edward turned quickly to walk the rest of the way up the stairs, away from the crowded lobby and prying eyes. When we reached the mezzanine, he found a small sofa off in a corner and gently set me down.

My foot hit the ground and I winced. Edward knelt in front of me and took my left ankle in his cool hands. He removed the shoe and began examining the already swollen joint until I reacted to the pressure and let out a small hiss.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. You caught me by surprise when I saw you running up the stairs." He pressed once more against the place my foot was most tender. "You look absolutely breathtaking, and your dress..." He heaved a breath, "I was a bit distracted and I didn't think."

He furrowed his brow and looked darkly at my ankle, wrapping it very carefully between his palms. "It shouldn't be this swollen so soon. You may have broken a bone, but I can't be certain without an x-ray. I'm so terribly sorry, love."

I processed his words slowly and reveled in the feel of him holding a part of my body he'd never really touched before. My brain took a moment to catch up, but then I remembered why I'd run up the stairs to begin with.

"Tylenol," I whispered.

Edward looked up at me with a slightly confused expression before nodding.

"Yes, that may be a good idea, but they might give you something stronger at the hospital."

"No, for Jessica," I answered, still struggling to form a coherent thought. The combination of pain from my ankle and relief at seeing Edward was doing nothing for my verbal abilities.

"For Jessica?" he asked, looking adorably confused.

"The Tylenol is for Jessica. She has a headache. I'm supposed to get her Tylenol. Her wedding starts in a few minutes. I have to go get Tylenol."

Edward chuckled, I assumed at my less than eloquent explanation.

I thought about it some more and panic crept in. "Oh, god... I'm supposed to walk down the aisle with Jessica in less than ten minutes, Edward!"

"I doubt that is going to happen now," he said, but smiled thoughtfully when he saw my expression. "However... I think we ought to be able to get some Tylenol in the gift shop downstairs, for both you and Jessica. Perhaps if we can find some ice for your ankle as well, and possibly a chair, we can still manage to get you through the ceremony. Of course, as soon as that's over, we ought to get an X-ray for your ankle."

He rubbed his thumb gently across my lower calf and my breath caught at the sensation.

"I can't leave," I whispered roughly. "I flew all this way for her wedding. I'm the Maid of Honor."

"It could be broken, Isabella."

"Well, if it is, it's going to have to wait."

Edward frowned.

"It's not that bad," I insisted, ignoring the fact that the throbbing was truly painful. I looked past him to the stairs and thought about Jessica waiting for me. It wouldn't be long before someone came looking for me, or before I missed the wedding entirely. I began to scoot forward on the sofa.

Edward stopped me and placed his hands on my face. "Bella, if it hurts for me to touch it, it's going to be excruciating to stand on."

"I can't miss the wedding, Edward."

"I know that," he said, sliding one hand to the back of my neck stroking his thumb along my cheekbone. "Just let me help you."

"I'm mad at you," I whispered, remembering the stress of the last twelve hours.

"I'm sorry."

"You're in big trouble."

"I'll make it up to you."

"You scared the shit out me."

His eyes widened almost imperceptibly before he sighed. "I know I did, and I'm so sorry, love. I got on the first flight I could, which was late last night. I didn't get in to Norfolk until an hour ago and I had to dodge the sun just to get out of the airport. Same thing when I got to the hotel. It's only just now completely clouded over."

"That's not what I meant, and you could have texted me your itinerary. I would have at least known you were on your way."

A crease, subtle as it was, appeared between his brows. "In my defense, I wasn't able to purchase my tickets in advance."

"You're a..." I paused and looked around, my voice dropping to a whisper. "You're a vampire and you're telling me you couldn't shoot me a text message and walk through the terminal at the same time?"

He lifted his mouth in half a smile, exasperating me further.

"Alright, in all honesty, I was hoping to surprise you, which I obviously did. In retrospect, I suppose that wasn't the wisest course of action." He ran his thumb over my swelling ankle, "I should have informed you."

"Yes, you should have."

"Can you forgive me for ignoring your dislike of surprises and behaving like an imbecile in general?"

Angry tears pricked my eyes despite his attempt at humor. "I don't know right now, Edward. This is becoming a pattern with you and I thought we had an understanding. I was worried out of my mind. Do you know that I tried to call Alice? She didn't answer either."

He nodded. "Her phone was damaged yesterday."

Sniffling a little, I wiped the small tears that were attempting to escape from my eyes.

"What happened? Were you able to find the remaining newborns?" There wasn't much time for lengthy conversation, but I had to know.

Edward glanced down the stairs, apparently thinking the same thing. "It's really long story, I should get you back."

"Edward..." I growled.

"I know, and I will tell you everything, but if I'm correct, they're already wondering where you are. Either way, there's nothing for you to worry about."

I sighed. "Fine, but this isn't over. I'm starting to think I can't trust you to be honest with me, and that hurts more than my stupid ankle."

Edward's crushed expression almost made me take the words back. Almost.

"Will you still help me downstairs?" I asked instead.

Edward smiled sadly. "Of course. I would be honored."

I made an attempt to stand, but Edward slid his arms around me and lifted me easily back into the bridal position. I wrapped my arms around him and smiled shyly, causing him to wink at me. My ire quite suddenly vanished and I felt fairly sure I wouldn't require much pain medication if he kept up with the charming routine.

"How is your foot feeling?" he asked, almost as if he had been able to read my mind, a thought that, in and of itself, endeared him to me even more.

I smiled slightly. "I've had worse."

"That's not what I asked," he asked, his face tender rather than challenging.

"It's okay. I can feel my pulse a little."

He frowned again. "It seems I have quite a lot to make up to you, don't I? I am truly sorry, Bella."

"Please don't apologize for my clumsiness, or for arriving when you did. I may be upset with you, but I'm glad you're here."

He smiled shyly and shook his head. "I become less deserving of you every day."

"No more of that kind of talk today. There's enough to worry about with this bum ankle."

Edward continued down the stairs to the lobby with me cradled in his arms. We'd nearly reached the bottom when I heard him start laughing lightly.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I was just thinking," he smiled. "It's nothing."

"Edward," I complained. "Tell me."

"I don't know if you'll find it as amusing as I do. Especially given the circumstances."

"Please?"

He chuckled. "I was amused by the thought that this isn't exactly the way a lady is supposed to _arrive_ for a wedding." He lifted me higher in his arms for emphasis, and then chuckled again.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "At least it's not our wedding."

Edward stopped short of the entrance to the gift shop. My cheeks flared with intense heat when I realized what I'd said.

_Our wedding. _

I'd said it so simply, as if it were a given fact.

Panic gnawed at me. I knew that Edward had strong opinions on how he saw the limitations of our relationship. Marriage implied there would be a certain level of intimacy that definitely fell outside of his rules. I was uncertain of what I should say next so I looked away and hoped that he would let it go.

He didn't.

"Our wedding," he murmured, the question in his voice unmistakable. He turned my face back to his, his eyes blazing. "Have you..."

He trailed off and I fought desperately to keep myself together under his scrutiny. I could feel the effects of his gaze creeping up on me and closed my eyes tightly, severing the connection and trying to backpedal.

"I only meant that... I meant..." I stuttered and started again. "I just meant that..."

"Bella, stop." He lifted my chin again with his fingers. "Open your eyes, please."

There was no choice but to obey. I could not deny him. As soon as I did though, it felt as though I were laid bare in front of him. My breath caught in my throat and my tongue turned to cotton in my mouth.

Edward set me down in a chair in the corner of the lobby. I hadn't even noticed he'd moved from in front of the gift shop. Kneeling before me, he took my hands in his and searched my eyes intently. The emotions playing on his face were beyond what I was used to seeing from him. His mask had slipped.

"Isabella?"

He looked so uncertain, so vulnerable. I knew he was waiting for me to say something, but I could only manage his name.

"Edward..."

I was unable to say anything more, because I was unable to deny that I'd thought about marriage more than once of late. A fact that was ridiculous really, especially considering that I'd never once in my life considered it an option for me.

I struggled to come up with an explanation for the sudden change in my attitude. Maybe it was a direct result of all the wedding planning that both Jessica and Angela had involved me in over the last year. Maybe it was because I had crossed some invisible boundary after receiving my degree that made the idea of getting married less abhorrent than it would have been if I was still an undergrad. Then again, maybe it was simply because of Edward.

_Edward, w_ho'd come back into my life so unexpectedly and within days had me feeling things that I only ever believed to be found in fiction. Things like love at first sight, and true love, and soul mates. Maybe even happily ever after.

"Bella. You're going to drive me mad here, love." Edward's musical voice brought me out of my thoughts. "What are you thinking?"

I blushed.

"Is that something you might want?" He swallowed. "I just assumed it wasn't something you'd thought about."

The look on his face was so far past hopeful that it shocked me. _Yes,_ I wanted to say. But the word just wouldn't come out. A small part of me was a little terrified of what would happen if I admitted the truth.

As I struggled to come up with some kind of response, Edward's face changed. He grimaced and closed his eyes, opening them again only to reveal a remorseful expression.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up now."

"No, please. Just give me a minute," I begged, feeling hot tears threatening to spill down my cheeks. Edward quickly reached up to wipe them away before they could, his face relaxing into a familiar mask of calm.

"Later, my love," he said simply.

I frowned and started to form another apology when a slightly familiar voice called out.

"Bella? Bella Swan?"

I looked up to see one of the groom's cousins looking frantically around the lobby for me. It took me a second to understand the real reason Edward had brought our discussion to a sudden close. He'd known someone was looking for me.

He thumbed my cheekbone lightly. "We will talk about this later. It's alright."

I nodded, grateful.

"I'm going to go get some Tylenol for you. I'll be right back."

When I looked away from Edward I saw Nick's cousin, who had apparently been sent to retrieve me, smile in relief when she spotted me. I gave a little wave.

"Hey, what are you doing in here?" she asked, walking towards me. "Everyone is waiting for you and Jessica is freaking out. Are you okay?" She then looked down at my foot. "Oh my goodness, what happened?"

"I fell. Well, I didn't really fall, but I twisted my ankle on the stairs," I explained.

"Oh, honey... It's so swollen. Do you think it's broken?" The girl knelt down next to me.

I reached down and gave it a tentative squeeze. "I don't think so. I hope not. I'm guessing it's sprained badly, but either way I don't think I can put my shoe back on just yet."

"I should go tell someone. Do you think you can walk at all, or should I go get a couple of the guys to come carry you outside? There are more than enough of them."

I was pretty sure that she meant Nick's military friends who were attending the wedding, but that didn't make the idea any less appalling to me.

"That won't be necessary."

It wasn't my voice that answered.

Edward had already returned from the gift shop with a few packets of Tylenol, two bottles of water, and a hotel manager in tow.

"If Miss Swan will allow me to, I'd be happy to assist her," he said smoothly, offering a polite smile to my companion.

I couldn't help rolling my eyes when I took in the reaction the poor girl was having to him. He winked at me when he caught my eye, and after introducing himself, dazzled her into leaving me behind in order to inform the wedding party of my injury. He then turned and spoke to the hotel manager briefly about the "issue on the stairs", as he put it, which sent the manager fleeing to accommodate us accordingly. I watched on in wonder and no small amount of amusement.

Just as soon as I'd swallowed two Tylenol, Edward lifted me once more into his arms and started towards the doors on the beach side of the hotel. I didn't ask how he knew that was where he should go and he didn't explain. We just went forward in silence, neither of us mentioning the rather awkward exchange between us earlier.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked when we got nearer to the bride's waiting room. "What about the weather?"

"Love, I've been concealing my nature for longer than you've been alive. Everything will be fine."

We reached the bridal room then and the groomsmen were already waiting outside to escort Jessica's cousins and me down the aisle. The six tanned and trim men in white uniforms stood up straighter as we approached. As they looked on curiously, a few of them bowed their heads a little in true southern style. All of a sudden I realized that not only would Edward have to let me go, but watch me take the arm of my assigned escort.

I sighed and wished it would be him instead. Not only was he my Edward, but with his support, I knew I would hardly feel the ground beneath me. I'd actually be able to walk down the aisle without putting any weight on my foot.

"It's okay, Bella. I'll take care of you," Edward murmured, no doubt feeling me go rigid in his arms.

I looked up into his eyes just as Mrs. Stanley came barreling out of the room looking for me.

"There you are," she cooed, as if she hadn't just been snapping at me fifteen minutes ago. "Thank heavens!"

Her eyes flew to Edward then back to me and she looked alarmed. "Oh, my..." Her voice trailed off as she swallowed hard. "What are you...?" Again she faltered.

She stared at Edward open mouthed for a moment and then shook her head, "Um, they said you were hurt?"

I smiled sheepishly and held my injured appendage up a little so that she could see it. She seemed to come back to herself at the sight of my swollen ankle and heaved a sigh.

"Well... of all the days for you to have an accident, Bella Swan, you would choose today."

I heard Edward growl lowly and jerked my head up. His eyes were tight, his relaxed, charming smile gone. I whispered his name and plastered on a smile, expecting to see Mrs. Stanley looking truly terrified when I glanced back at her. She was still staring at my foot with a look of concentration. Apparently, I was the only one who had heard Edward.

"It was my fault, Mrs. Stanley," he said suddenly. "I startled Bella while she was running up the stairs. I wasn't expecting to see her in the lobby so close to the start of the ceremony."

I watched Edward smile brilliantly and unleash the full force of his dazzling ways on Jessica's poor mother. At the blank look on her face, I had to stifle a laugh.

"Please convey my congratulations to Jessica on her nuptials," he added. "I'm honored to have been allowed to attend on such short notice."

The door behind Mrs. Stanley swung open and Jessica appeared there wide-eyed. "Edward Cullen! Is that really you?" she gasped.

"Hello, Jessica," Edward said smoothly. He glanced back at me and put me down gently, supporting my weight with his arm around the waist.

When I looked back at Jessica, she was smiling from ear to ear. She raised her eyebrows expectantly at me.

"Oh, um, look who I found," I said, feeling a familiar blush rise on my cheeks.

She giggled and nodded. "I see that. It looks like he made it just in time."

She looked us up and down and then tilted her head to one side when she got to my swollen foot. "Well, almost. Are you alright?"

I shrugged. "I am, but I hate to say I told you so."

Jessica sighed as Mrs. Stanley muttered something behind her. "No, you did tell me. I'm sorry, Bells. But if it makes you feel any better, worrying about you made me forget about my headache."

I laughed and Edward cleared his throat. "Bella didn't forget. Here," he said, holding out a packet of Tylenol. "In case you still need it."

Jessica went sort of pale and her smile fell from her face. I was worried for a moment until she blinked and swallowed audibly, her eyes going a little glassy. I cleared my throat and produced the water bottle I'd been holding onto all this time.

"Here, Jess. Water. You should probably go ahead and take those. Just in case."

She blinked again. "Oh, right. Right, um, sure."

Edward deftly popped the two tablets into Jessica's outstretched hand and I uncapped the water for her. She took the small pills and smiled at us.

"Thanks, guys." She looked at us another moment and then laughed. "Um, okay, I just have to say it. This is really weird. Like, really, really, really weird. I mean, you're Edward Cullen for the love of– "

"Jessica!" Angela said suddenly, appearing from the room behind her. She looked up at Edward apologetically. "Sorry, she's just excited you're here. We're all really glad you made it, by the way," she added kindly.

"Thank you, Angela. You look lovely today as well. You _all _look a vision."

Angela thanked him and smiled shyly. Jessica took several more small sips of water and then capped it.

"So, any brilliant ideas? We need to get things going now that you're here, but it doesn't look like you can walk very far on that," she said, pointing to my ankle.

I looked up at Edward and then back at Angela. She shrugged and shook her head, looking back at Jess.

"If I may be so bold," Edward said softly. "If I help Bella get to the altar, would you be comfortable with her sitting until she's needed? The manager of the hotel is waiting outside to provide us with anything we need to make her more comfortable."

The girls both blinked, looking caught somewhere between disbelieving and enamored. I wanted to roll my eyes, but managed to restrain myself.

"I can be discreet. I doubt your guests will even notice us," Edward added.

A slow smile spread over Jessica's features while Angela beamed.

"That's really thoughtful," Angela said.

"Yeah, really thoughtful," Jessica agreed. "Um, I mean... as long as Bella doesn't mind."

She looked at me. "Do you mind?"

I hesitated for a moment and looked between her and Edward. "I'm not exactly sure what I'm agreeing to, but I trust Edward. For the most part."

He glanced down at me with an indecipherable expression before looking back at Jessica and the others.

"I'll be sure to wait until the processional starts and the guests are otherwise occupied before carrying Bella to the front. By the time you are ready to make your entrance she'll be in place and I'll be out of sight. I promise."

I could tell Edward was laying on the charm and using all of his vampire wiles to convince everyone of his plan. In a matter of moments, it was agreed to and Jessica's mother flirtatiously thanked him for saving the day while the rest of the bridesmaids lined up, as did little Caroline.

The little girl hid behind her mother's pleated skirt and peeked out at me and Edward standing across the hall.

"Hey, Care Bear. Are you ready to throw those pretty flowers for Mommy to walk on?" I asked with a smile, seeing her nervous expression.

She shook her head no and hid further behind Jessica. Jess reached down and knelt, pulling her daughter around to face her before murmuring in her ear and hugging her closely.

As I watched the scene, Edward leaned close to my ear. "She's afraid of me."

I looked up at him, surprised. "Really? Why?"

He arched an eyebrow.

I frowned. "Nobody else seems to feel that way. I don't understand."

Edward sighed and picked me up, murmuring closely to my ear. "Kids are more perceptive than adults in many ways, and the lures that draw most humans to us don't work on them. She simply sees someone different. Someone dangerous."

"She'll be okay, won't she?"

"I think so. I'll try to keep my distance and be as non-threatening as possible."

I sighed, but we didn't get to discuss it further because Angela walked towards us just then.

She was holding a small bouquet of vibrantly colored roses matching Jessica's color scheme of raspberry and tangerine in her hands. "Here you go, sweetie. You'll need these." She looked from me to Edward, then after a moment wrinkled her nose in a goofy expression. "You two are so cute. I'm really glad you made it, Edward."

He seemed genuinely taken aback for a moment. "Thank you, Angela."

"We'll see you out there," she said, waving and turning back to the rest of the bridal party.

"That's our cue," Edward said softly, lifting his chin towards the door. "The wedding coordinator from the hotel is about to–"

A loud woman with frizzier hair than Jessica on her frizziest day flung open the door at the end of the hall and clapped her hands together. "Alright ladies, and gentleman. We are officially fifteen minutes behind schedule, if you are not ready now–"

"We're ready!" Jessica shouted. "Sooo ready... Let's get this show on the road."

Everyone laughed and Jess turned to wink at me quickly as the others lined up. "Go be stealthy, you two. I have a man waiting for me, and a honeymoon to get started."

"Jessica Stanley!" her mother gasped.

"Not for long," Jess quipped, giggling as her mother groaned in exasperation.

Edward shook his head and made his way down ahead of everyone else, his arms holding me securely the whole way. I probably should have felt some sort of humiliation, but all I could feel was secure and thankful. My foot was still throbbing lightly.

When we reached the door, I looked outside at the waiting beach. Part of me was expecting to see the sun that had shown so brightly earlier breaking through the clouds.

"I have it on good authority that the sun will stay away for the rest of the afternoon. Relax, Bella."

I blushed and met Edward's eyes as he stepped outside easily. He smirked a little before looking towards a few hotel employees who eyed us with surprise as we emerged. A man, who appeared to be the hotel manager, stepped forward with an ice pack in his hands. He and Edward exchanged a few words about how to activate it before the man stepped back, obviously eager to get away.

As Edward turned on his heel and walked towards the beach, I couldn't help but look up at the clouds one last time. When I looked down again, we'd stopped beneath a small gathering of palm trees just behind and to the left of the chairs where the guests sat. Most were waiting for the ceremony to begin, though a few eyed us questioningly.

Edward ignored them, placing me on my feet and kneeling down while bending the ice pack back and forth. I could hear a cracking sound.

"It's an instant ice-pack. It won't last long, but it should help. How does this feel?" he asked placing it over the swollen area.

I shivered slightly. "It's okay I guess."

"Still throbbing?"

"A bit," I answered honestly.

"Well, the swelling has stopped. That's a good sign at least."

He looked up at me and I felt my heart stutter a little at the sight of him kneeling there. I thanked God he couldn't read my mind as he smiled apologetically and stood, putting the ice pack in my hands.

"Here, hold this for a moment."

Music began to play and Edward swept me up into his arms again as soon as the guests' attention was drawn away from us. I had to stifle a shriek of surprise.

Moments later, the officiate, the groom, and groomsmen appeared and made their way to their places at the front of the center aisle where a white arbor stood draped in sheer netting that blew lightly in the breeze. A single table draped in white was placed at the back of it, and there were several sprays of roses in Jessica's colors attached to the sides and corners as well. Matching rose petals laid out in neat rows ran up either side of the aisle creating the look of a runner without one actually being laid out. There were no other decorations to speak of, but the combination of simple and bold in the right amounts made for a perfect setting against the backdrop of the ocean.

The only thing missing was the sun, but I couldn't find it in me to mourn the loss for Jessica's sake. Not when it meant Edward got to be here with me.

Once the family had all been seated, the music transitioned and Caroline made her appearance on the sandy aisle. There was a hum of appreciation from the audience over both her attire and her slightly hesitant demeanor. She took her time getting the first flower petals out of her little basket and held the audience captive as she slowly scattered them around.

Edward took that as the golden opportunity and made his way silently to the far left side of the chairs and up to the front row. Jessica's fiancé, Nick, saw us arrive, as did the priest, and shot us confused glances at first. I waved and lifted my foot sheepishly and Nick nodded, though he gave Edward a stern look before returning his attention to the adorable little girl making her way down the aisle.

"This is where I leave you, beautiful," Edward whispered as he lowered me gently into a chair facing the first row where Jessica's mother, father, and other family members sat. I avoided their gazes and focused on Edward.

"Do you think you can stand on your own?" he asked as he placed the icepack back on my foot.

I nodded. He looked up and arched an eyebrow. "Yes," I whispered.

"Okay. Well, wait until Angela and the others get up here to help you."

"Of course," I sighed as he moved to stand. "Thank you, Edward."

He regarded me for a moment as he knelt at my side. His hand came to cover my own where they rested over my knees. "It's the least I could do. You never would have tripped had it not been for me," he whispered.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't start."

He looked mournful as the first bridesmaid arrived at our side. "I have to go."

"Where will you be?" I asked, feeling a flutter of anxiety.

"Close by. Don't worry, I'll be here if you need me."

I smiled and swallowed a small lump in my throat that seemed to come from out of nowhere.

_"I'll always need you,"_ I wanted to say. Instead, I looked towards the aisle as, one after another, four more girls in flowing raspberry colored dresses lined up and waited for the bride.

~(~)~

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_**End Note:**_

_**So, I have another new story. I know, I know... I'm supposed to be finishing this one first. In my defense, however, it was my contribution to the Fandom 4 Sexual Assault Awareness Compilation, and an idea I'd been holding onto since January. I guess I just thought it was time it saw the light of day. **_

_**If you're interested in more AU-Twilight, you can find "An Immortal Wish" by visiting my profile. :) **_

_**(Just FYI- for those of you who objected to my "M" rated All-Human tale, the new one is another T-rated Vamp fic. So check it out. It may be more to your liking than "Arms" was. Thanks!)**_

_**Next update... **_

_**I'm shooting for no more than a week, but we're putting our dog down later today, so it all depends on how able I am to focus after that. I'll let you know via Facebook & Twitter when the next chapter goes to the betas. **_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	30. Chapter 29: Vows and Vicoprofen

_**Hi, Everyone! Here we are again. Apologies for the lack of updates in the last month, but I do hope you enjoy this nice long chapter. Thank you for all the condolences over the loss of our dog last month. It was heartbreaking, as things like that usually are, but the well-wishes made me smile.**_

_**Thank you to **__Katmom__**, **__Linguist__**, and **__farawaymomo__** for their mad beta/pre-reader skills. I feel so lucky to have such supportive people catching all my mistakes and offering feedback –especially since this has turned into a long-term commitment from them now. Love you, ladies!**_

_**Special thanks for this chapter also go to **__abbyweyr__** for helping me with some research and providing her expertise. She now knows firsthand how I tend to obsess over even the smallest details & I appreciate her coming to my rescue. :)**_

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_**Disclaimer:**__** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, brands, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**_

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**Chapter 29: **

"**Vows & Vicoprofen"  
**

_EPOV-  
_**  
**

I retreated to the trio of palm trees located behind the last row of chairs set out for the bride and groom's guests, remaining unnoticed as I'd promised Jessica. Not that she would have noticed personally, or cared. Her eyes were completely focused on her soon-to-be husband, as his eyes were focused on her.

Watching them, even briefly, caused a twinge of an emotion I so rarely felt, and only since Bella had come along.

I was envious.

I wanted something I feared I could never have. Something these two mortals were taking entirely for granted. Sure, they loved each other, they were happy, excited, even genuinely committed to a long and lasting relationship. But they didn't truly understand the miracle of what was about to take place.

My eyes flitted back to Bella as she hobbled forward with help from the other bridesmaids.

_Our wedding... _

The memory of her beautiful voice rang through my brain in perfect clarity, even as I watched her now, her jaw clenching with each step she took, her smile clearly strained.

I wanted to kick myself for allowing her to be injured. For causing her injury. Although, part of me wanted to blame that dress. And those shoes. They'd made her legs look phenomenal. Breathtaking was a more apt description, and I had no need to breathe.

A big part of me wanted to thank Jessica for that. The more gentlemanly part of me was still focused on the fact that I'd let Bella down. In more ways than one.

Her eyes met mine just then, and her face seemed to relax. I smiled at her from my place under the trees and gave a small wave. Her smile grew more genuine. I wondered what she was thinking as she looked back to the minister as he spoke about commitment and love, and the bond of marriage.

Her voice sounded in my memory again.

_Our wedding..._

Of all of the conversations I'd expected to have with her this weekend, of all the things I could have imagined would have come up, this was nearly the last. Bloodthirsty newborn vampires, yes. Mangy shape-shifting wolves, of course. But marriage?

Not only were we in the most unconventional of relationships, but I'd heard Renee's warnings to Bella during her recent visit. I'd seen in her mother's mind the way she'd raised Bella to view "settling down" as more or less being "tied down". She'd long warned Bella against trusting in the institution of marriage, and she'd been concerned about how serious we seemed. _Intense_, she'd described it. So, while the idea of marriage was not something I could deny wishing for, for many reasons, it was not something I'd foreseen Bella considering.

How could she anyway? What kind of husband could I be to her?

And yet... her eyes flitted back to me again and again during the ceremony. When the minister entreated the bride and groom to take their vows solemnly and with the understanding that they represented a spiritual bond as well as a legal one, Bella seemed to chew on her bottom lip with fervor. The next time she looked up, she blushed furiously.

I nearly let out a growl of frustration wondering what she was thinking about in that moment. I cursed her silent mind once again.

But then the minister opened his bible and began reading.

_"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."_

The _patient_ and _self-seeking_ really got my attention. I took a breath and forced myself not to obsess over the thoughts in my love's head.

The minister continued reciting the often used verse from the first book of Corinthians. I knew it well. Besides being extraordinarily popular, Esme and Carlisle had read it to each other when they first wed. However, the verse had always been mere words to me.

This time I heard them they were so much more. They'd been brought to life, like me; all thanks to the girl whose chocolate brown eyes were currently boring into mine.

A single tear escaped those eyes, and she looked down as the minister finished.

_ "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth._ _It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres..."_

Bella murmured the next line softly under her breath.

"Love never fails."

When our gazes inevitably locked once again, I could only hope that it was true.

The ceremony continued on; the rest passing quickly. Bella did all that was expected of her despite her injury. There were a few more tears, a good bit of laughter – especially when Jessica's daughter knelt down during the vows and began filling her flower basket with sand– and eventually the preacher pronounced the couple Lieutenant & Mrs. Nicolas Hansen.

They kissed. Bella blushed. I did my best not to think about what it would be like to kiss her in the same way.

Jessica and her new husband had no idea how lucky they were.

As the recessional began, I caught Bella's eye and tilted my head away from the center aisle. She nodded and hobbled behind the other bridesmaids towards the chair I'd left her in. She didn't sit, but merely held on to the back. It took me much longer than I would have liked to reach her, but human pretenses were necessary.

She smiled anyway, the pain she was feeling only showing at the very corner of her eyes.

"Hi," she said when I finally stood in front of her.

"Hello. Can I offer you a lift?" I grinned.

She giggled. "Yes, thank you."

I checked to see if anyone was paying much attention to us, and then swept her up into my arms. "Where to, love?"

"That way," she pointed. I tuned back into the thoughts around us and realized the wedding party was expected to take pictures together –_after_ they stood in a receiving line to thank the guests for attending.

Sure enough, when I turned around the bride and groom were lined up with the rest of the wedding party accepting congratulations.

"Bella, you can't be serious."

"It's expected of me, Edward."

"Don't you think Jessica would understand?"

"At least take me over there. We'll find a chair nearby and I'll play with Caroline or something. I can tell she's getting antsy and I don't want Jess to have to worry about her while she's saying hello to everyone."

"Very well," I said. "I suppose that's a compromise we can both live with. Though, I'll have to keep my distance from your little friend."

Bella tilted her head in thought. "She may just need to warm up to you. Or to see that someone she trusts is comfortable with you."

"Perhaps," I said, not wishing to give her false hope, but not wishing to upset her either.

I left Bella sitting with Caroline on the lawn near, but behind, the rest of the wedding party. Bella was more than content to avoid lots of questions or pitying smiles, and Caroline couldn't wait to take her shoes off and roll around in the grass. Fortunately for her little white dress, Bella was able to convince her to play a game of "Thumbkin" instead. I'd never heard Bella sing before, and the sound of the two girls together enchanted me.

Caroline turned her head when she heard me laughing and her thoughts surprised me. Perhaps Bella knew what she was talking about when it came to the little girl. She didn't exactly smile at me, but she did turn back to Bella and inform her I had a pretty laugh. Bella giggled and agreed, shooting me a smile over Caroline's shoulder.

The twenty-six minutes that followed were an exercise in torture as far as I was concerned. I'd thanked my lucky stars on many occasions that vampires had perfect recall, as it made taking portraits of important events less necessary. We remembered everything just the way it was, and would continue to for all time, so there was no need to attempt to preserve it otherwise. Still, I'd been forced to pose for an occasional photo with my family.

That was nothing compared to what Bella was being put through. I wanted to hit the photographer over the head with his own camera. And that was just the mildest of my inclinations.

Eventually, the whole thing became too much for Bella. She tried her hardest to pose on one foot, balance and smile all at the same time, but at one point, the pain showed through in every picture. Angela convinced her to excuse herself, and then convinced the photographer to move things along.

As soon as Bella made sure Jessica was fine with her leaving, she began to hobble towards me, wincing with each step. I met her before she could get too far on her own.

"Hey," I greeted her, pulling her close to my side and lifting her up slightly. "How are you doing?"

She let a slightly shaky breath. "Um..."

"That bad?" I asked, more concerned now than I'd been ten minutes ago when she nearly fell over Caroline while maneuvering from one pose to another.

"Not too bad. It is throbbing quite a bit though."

I looked at her facial features carefully, then glanced down to confirm that her foot was indeed more swollen than it had been. Additionally, while I'd seen it starting to form earlier, the distinct crescent shaped bruise of a badly sprained or fractured ankle was now quite visible on her skin as well.

"You're in pain," I said.

She nodded minutely without looking up. I knew she had to be hurting to even admit it. Bella was strong, but she was also proud.

She sighed. "The reception starts at two. I don't want to miss everything. What do you think the chances are of getting it looked at and getting back before it's all over?"

Her voice wavered a bit at the end.

"Bella, love..." I sighed and picked her up, ignoring the audience we had. She hid her face in my neck as I walked to a more secluded spot.

"Tell me what it is you're feeling."

"I'm feeling stupid," she mumbled.

"Pardon me?"

She huffed and pulled back so we could see each other. "I feel stupid. These are frustrated, angry tears, Edward. I'm going to miss something I flew all the way across the country for just because I can't walk in a straight line without falling down."

Her voice had risen quite considerably in her ire, but I couldn't help smiling.

"You weren't walking in a straight line. You were running up the stairs."

"Ha... ha..."

I smiled tenderly, knowing she would no longer protest. "I'll drive. We'll be back before you know it."

She looked up at me incredulously. "Edward, have you ever even been in an emergency room as a patient? Seriously, we'll be lucky to get an x-ray and get out of there by midnight."

"We'll do the best we can. I can be very persuasive."

She sighed and leaned her head on my shoulder. "I know all about how persuasive you can be."

I chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Let's get out of here."

The valet had barely pulled the rental car around to the front of the hotel when my cell phone buzzed silently in my jacket pocket. Pulling it out, I wasn't terribly surprised to see Alice's name despite her lack of phone when I left. It struck me why she might be calling and, before I'd even connected the call, I was smiling.

"Who is it?" Bella asked, as I helped her into the passenger's seat.

"It's, Alice," I said, winking at Bella as I closed her door. "Can you give me a moment, Al? We're just getting in the car."

I walked around the front of the car as quickly as I could, getting in just as Alice started chirping in my ear.

_"Are you in now, slowpoke?"_

"Yes, go ahead, smart aleck."

"I guess she got her phone fixed," Bella muttered. Alice laughed in my ear, apparently having heard her.

_ "Listen, just tell her to be glad I caught you in time, brother dear, because it's your lucky day. You and Bella can skip the hospital. I saw your decision to take her and the end result. Her ankle isn't broken. She does have a bad sprain though."_

"Thank you, Alice. You just saved us a lot of trouble." I turned to Bella. "Alice had a vision of you at the hospital. It's not broken."

Bella smiled and let out a breath I don't think she knew she was holding. She leant her head back against the headrest and smiled softly. "I'm really glad to hear that."

"Me too," I replied before turning my attention back to my sister. "She'll need ice, elevation, and immobilization, but is Carlisle there? It may not be a fracture, but Bella's in a good deal of pain."

"I'm fine," she whispered, placing her hand on my knee.

I froze in place, my eyes transfixed on the sight of her small fingers there. She'd never done that before. She almost didn't even seem aware of it either. Her head was still leaning back against the headrest, her eyes closed and her face relaxed.

_"Hello? Son?"_

I hadn't even noticed Alice handing the phone over to Carlisle on the other end of the line.

"Uh, hi, Dad," I said, pulling myself out of my stupor.

_"Is something the matter? Alice says she saw a bad sprain diagnosed, but I should think you would know what to do for that already."_

"Well, from an academic standpoint, of course I do, but Bella's ankle is quite swollen and very painful for her."

"It's not that bad," she protested softly, rubbing her thumb lightly against my knee at the same time. I was so taken with the sight and sensation that I almost didn't hear my father's response.

_ "That's no problem. I can call something in to a local pharmacy there. A few doses should do it though, enough to get her through the rest of today and help her sleep comfortably tonight. You should have her wrap it then as well, so she doesn't compound the injury while she's sleeping. They should have everything you need at a Walgreens or something similar."_

"Yes, of course. Can you ask Alice to find the closest pharmacy that will work for us?" I asked, removing Bella's delicate fingers from my leg at the same time. They were far too distracting there.

_"Of course, son. Is everything else all right? You seem a little distracted."_

I smiled at how well Carlisle knew me. "We're fine. Everything's fine here. With the one exception, of course."

_"Of course," he agreed, sounding convinced. "Give Bella our love will you? I'm handing the phone back to Alice now. She's got the number of a pharmacy for both of us, so I'll just go call them right now and have them get it ready for you."_

"Thank you."

_"No problem, son."_

Several minutes later, having gotten all the pertinent information from my sister, along with a moderate tongue lashing for causing Bella to stumble to begin with, I drove towards the pharmacy as quickly as the mildly crowded streets would allow. Bella's unusually still demeanor and elevated breathing rate told me she was still uncomfortable, even while seated.

"I need some answers from you," she said after a few minutes. She hadn't even opened her eyes.

"I know."

She sighed. "Is everyone okay back home?"

I squeezed her hand, which I'd yet to let go of, very gently. "Yes, everyone is fine. Well, Emmett almost lost an arm during a small disagreement with the Quileutes, but no permanent damage was done."

"A disagreement? What kind of disagreement?"

"There was a difference of opinions on how to handle a few of the newborn vampires."

"Just a few of them? What about the rest?" She swallowed audibly. "What happened to the rest of them?"

"They were taken care of. Those that fought were destroyed, and those that fled were dealt with appropriately."

Shrewd as ever, Bella narrowed her eyes at me. "What does that mean? Dealt with appropriately?"

I paused for a moment, deciding how best to explain.

"When we spoke yesterday, I told you that a few of them got by us before we arrived at the house Victoria had been keeping them in. Do you remember?"

"Yes, I remember. Why do think I was so upset with you when I didn't hear back from you after that?"

I sighed.

"I'm truly, very sorry, Bella. I wasn't trying to worry you. It was a busy day, and despite it taking some time, we did succeed in catching up to them with little incident."

"How little?"

"One of Victoria's progeny had a gift which made tracking him a problem, but we did eventually find him. He had some kind of ability to stay hidden, but once I got used to the influence of his ability on my own, I was able to guess where he was. Jacob took over from there."

"So I guess that means that guy is ashes now, too, huh?"

"Yes."

"And the others?"

"They were easy enough to find even though they had nearly twelve hours head start. They'd been taught to believe the myth that they would burst into flames if they got caught out in the daylight."

"Seriously?" Bella asked.

I smiled humorlessly. "It was one of the lies Victoria used to control them. It was very unfortunate too, because there was a recently bonded pair who wanted nothing to do with their maker or any kind of fighting. At least they didn't once they met."

"When did they meet?"

"The male was the second vampire Victoria made and was a few months old. The female was barely more than a week into this life. So, I guess it was when she woke up, or shortly thereafter. They fled as soon as they had the chance and when we caught up to them, they just wanted to be left alone. His only instinct was to protect her and keep her safe. Unfortunately, that was the source of the disagreement between my family and the Quileutes."

Bella turned in her seat, her eyes wide. "Who won the argument?"

"The wolves."

Her eyes closed quickly. "Oh, no."

Her response surprised me, but also terrified me at the same time. Compassion was one of Bella's defining characteristics, but part of me wondered if she really understood who she was granting her compassion to.

I reached out to touch her face. "You do understand that they would have hunted humans, Bella? Killed innocent people?"

She shrugged. "You couldn't have taught them about being, you know, veggie vampires? About living off of animal blood?"

I exhaled in exasperation and dropped my hand. "Even if we'd been able to inform them there was an alternative to drinking human blood, it would have been unlikely they could have succeeded without a great deal of support. You have to remember, sweetheart, all of us –with the exception of Carlisle and Rosalie– have slipped at one time or another."

She remained quiet for a moment, chewing on her lip as she digested my words. "Even Esme?" she whispered finally.

I saw the drugstore Alice had directed me to up on our right and pulled into the parking lot. I waited until I found a parking spot before I answered her.

"Yes, Bella. Even Esme."

She sighed and shook her head.

"What are you thinking?"

She laughed dryly. "It's just... it sucks. Those people didn't ask to be turned, right? It's not like they were ever given a choice to become a vampire or not."

"No, they weren't. Few are."

"It's so sad."

"It is, and had it been up to my family alone, we would have offered them the option of considering our alternative lifestyle. It just wasn't up to us. It wasn't our lives that they'd been created for the sole purpose of destroying. "

Movement outside of the car reminded me of our errand and kept me from pursuing the conversation further. Part of me was more than a bit afraid of where it would lead anyway.

"Love, I'm sorry to change the subject just now, but I need to run in and get your prescription along with a few things for your ankle. Would you like to stay here, or come inside?"

"I don't have my shoes. You carried me to the car," she said, her voice somewhat small.

"And I'd carry you around in the store too, but I have a feeling that might embarrass you."

She laughed once. "Not to mention make a scene."

"What? Normal boyfriends don't carry their entirely too-beautiful girlfriends around the pharmacy on a daily basis?" I teased.

She giggled, shaking her head. "No, definitely not. Although I think you have the 'entirely too-beautiful' thing backwards."

"Not at all," I said, taking and lifting her hand briefly to my lips. "You have no idea how alluring you are in that dress."

Bella's heart started racing as she took in my compliment. With flushed cheeks and dilated eyes, she linked our fingers together. "You look very nice in your suit, too. I meant to... um, to tell you that."

I smiled and brushed my thumb along hers. "Shall I go ahead without you?"

"That would be fine."

"I'll be right back," I promised.

Her gaze, honest and trustworthy, met mine. "I know you will."

Though I did not deserve it, I saw the forgiveness and the trust she was granting me with her words.

"Thank you," I whispered.

She nodded and I ran my thumb very gently once more over her hand before taking my leave.

Moving as fast as I possibly could through the store, I collected everything I thought I might need to care for a badly sprained ankle. Once I was well supplied, I made my way to the pharmacy counter and picked up the prescription Carlisle had called in for Bella. I took one look at the name of the drug and considered calling him back to see if he really believed that particular choice necessary. I was, however, the one who'd suggested she might need a stronger painkiller in the first place.

"Bella?" I asked, when I returned to the car. I knelt down next to the open passenger's side door. "Have you ever taken anything with hydrocodone in it before?"

She looked at me with an odd expression. "Um, yeah, I think so. Why? Is that what Carlisle prescribed?"

"Yes, it's a hydrocodone-ibuprofen combination, and one of the lower doses available, but I was still concerned if you hadn't any experience with it. Some people have a strong reaction." Another thought occurred to me. "Have you eaten anything today?"

"A little. Some breakfast. I'll be fine," she answered.

I frowned and shook my head. "Will you be all right if we wait until we get back to the hotel? It is a full dinner reception, correct?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. And I told Jessica you'd have a vegetarian meal. I hope that's okay," she said teasingly.

I rolled my eyes and opened the ACE bandage I'd purchased for her. "You think you're funny, don't you?"

She giggled. "I'm not that funny, it was just the least expensive option for the bride and groom, and I knew you wouldn't be eating it anyway. Though I was tempted to order the filet and ask for it rare."

I laughed and asked her to scoot her seat all way back and turn toward me a little. Carefully, I examined her swollen ankle for a moment before wrapping it. "Is this tender?" I asked pushing gently on a specific point.

"A little."

"And this?"

She hissed and her foot jerked back reflexively.

"I'm sorry, love. I just wanted to make sure I wrap it the right way."

She nodded and offered me a brave smile. I was relieved to see no evidence of tears.

Once her ankle was well wrapped and I'd put another instant-use icepack on it, we sped back towards the hotel.

"It's just after two o'clock," I said. "We're not terribly late."

"Thank goodness for Alice," Bella answered softly.

"In this case, I'm inclined to agree with you."

Bella laughed softly and sighed.

"Edward?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"What happened to her phone yesterday? Alice's, I mean."

"It was accidentally crushed."

"How did that happen?"

I smiled at her tenacity, but worried how she'd take the truth. "Well, truthfully she turned it to dust in her own frustration. She was trying to see something, or rather someone, in the future and she couldn't. You happened to call at that moment, and she grabbed her phone without tempering her grip."

"I...me... it was my fault?"

"No, silly girl," I laughed. "It was Alice's fault. She often forgets her own strength. It's just that she can usually see herself having accidents before they actually happen. She was just concentrating so hard on something else that she missed seeing your phone call, or the end result."

"Oh, so what was she trying to see at the time?" Bella asked.

I smiled. "That's actually something I need to talk to you about. It does involve you to a certain degree, albeit indirectly."

Bella's heart rate climbed.

"It's not as bad as you're probably thinking," I reassured her. "It may just affect your travel plans, and mine. At least it will, if you agree with me."

"Agree with you about what? What's going on?" she asked, her voice rising.

I did a quick mental calculation to estimate how long we had until we arrived back at the hotel. Depending on Bella's reaction, it was just enough.

"There was... another young vampire that got away. In addition to the ones I mentioned already today."

Bella nodded. "Okay, so..."

"So, he's the one that left Victoria's group before we found them. The trouble is, we haven't been able to find him yet."

"Well, maybe he's gone for good. Maybe he was trying to escape too. Sam isn't seriously insisting you or the pack scour the country looking for him, is he?"

"No, of course not. But, we don't believe he just fled. Alice saw his decision to go looking for Victoria."

"So, you don't think he knows she's been destroyed?"

"We don't know, but that was the first place we looked for any trace of him, where we burned Victoria. The sight hasn't been disturbed, and we weren't able to detect his scent anywhere near it. Not even with the wolves help."

Bella sighed and rubbed at her forehead. "Weren't they able to just follow his trail from the camp, or house, or whatever it was?"

"Jacob and a few others tried, but the trail went into the water, so there wasn't much to go on after that. With the size and scope of Puget Sound, it's a guessing game as to where he might have gone ashore."

She tapped her pretty painted fingernail –another first for her since I'd known her– against her teeth. "So what's the plan?"

I laughed, loudly. I couldn't help it.

"What? What did I say?"

I grinned at her. "Nothing, it's just... it's like you're willing to jump right in and help. It's endearing."

_If a bit frightening. _ But I kept that thought to myself –which was a good thing.

Bella narrowed her eyes at me.

"You seem to have forgotten how this whole thing started Edward Anthony! Yes, I am actually trying to help. Is that so shocking? Or hilarious?" she hissed. She crossed her arms over her chest. "And is it such an impossible idea that the insignificant, little human might think of something that you big, bad supernatural creatures may have overlooked?"

I knew better than to laugh this time, but it was an impossible task to contain all my mirth in response to her spirited rant.

"Did you just use my middle name?"

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, and if you're not careful the last names are coming out too. Both of them."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Well... Isabella _Marie..._ we can't have that, now can we? Tell me your idea, whatever it is."

She blinked, her eyes clouding in confusion before she blushed and looked down. "I didn't say I had an actual idea. It was just the principal of the thing."

The traffic light in front of us turned red. I stopped the car, then turned to Bella and lifted her chin, leaning over to kiss her softly.

"I understand, sweetheart. Lesson learned."

She let out a long sigh and brought her lips to mine once again.

"What were we talking about?" she said when she pulled away.

I laughed quietly to myself and took one of her hands in mine as the light changed again. "Travel plans, love. We were talking about changing our travel plans."

She was quiet a moment.

"And why exactly would we do that again? I'm still a little confused."

I smiled. "Honestly, with Victoria's second in command still on the loose, I'd rather keep you out of Washington for a few more days. It's really as simple as that."

"But Alice hasn't seen him."

"No, she hasn't, and that's the problem. We're in the dark, and we might remain in the dark if any of this vampire's movements involve interacting with the wolves or crossing into their territory. Alice has asked the pack to stay near La Push and avoid making any decisions that might interfere with her visions for the next few days, but there's no guarantee that it will work. In the meantime, I just want you out of harm's way."

"But don't you think Alice would see if..."

I interrupted her. "We're talking about a very immature vampire here, Bella. If he discovers his maker has been destroyed, he could either disappear into oblivion, or become very dangerous. We know he felt some kind of attachment towards Victoria though, so Jasper's money is on the latter. I can't risk that he'd find out and make an instinct driven choice that Alice wouldn't see in time."

"That can happen?" she asked, her heart beating a little faster.

"Anything's possible at this point. Alice's visions aren't foolproof, but I do want to give her some time to see what she can see. The others are out looking for him as well, so if in a few days there's still no sign of him, we can go home. Of course, I still won't be letting you out of my sight, but..."

Bella's brown eyes were wide as we turned into the hotel entrance. "A few days? How many days is a few days? I mean, I have work, and... well, work."

I took her hand and focused my gaze on her. "Are you saying no?"

She inhaled slowly and shook her head. "Nooo... I'm not saying no. I just, I don't know if I can say yes. I need my job, Edward. And they sort of need me there, as well."

We pulled to a stop in front of the valet stand. "I understand, but all I'm asking for is two more days, maybe three."

"That would keep me out until Friday. That's one of our busiest days at the dealership, Edward. And when exactly am I supposed to call my boss and spring this on him?"

"It's still early in Seattle right now, and they're not expecting you back until Tuesday morning anyway. It's short notice, I'll give you that, but it gives him a couple of days to cover your shifts."

Bella closed her eyes and put her fingers at her temples. "I can't believe you're doing this to me. I can hardly say no to you as it is, and now you ask me something like this?"

I blinked. "You say no to me all the time."

"Pot... meet kettle," she said, looking over at me in defiance.

There was no mistaking the deeper meaning behind her words.

I shook my head. "Bella, please, let's not begin this debate again. Not now. The two issues have nothing to do with each other."

"Don't they?" she asked, sitting up straighter and meeting my eyes. The valet stood outside her door, waiting for us to exit the vehicle. I waved him off as she continued her rant. "Let me ask you something, Edward. Would this vampire, however young and wild, be a threat to me if I were a vampire, too?"

"I told you, I'm not having this conversation with you right now."

Bella huffed and unbuckled her seatbelt. "Of course you're not. Heaven forbid you should be made to suffer through a conversation where you're wrong."

She reached for the door handle, but I had my hand over hers before she could register the movement. "Bella, please..." I said softly. "I'm sorry. I just want to protect you."

She sighed and sat back. "Look, I'm sorry too. I'm just tired, and in pain, and to be honest, I'm really sick of always playing the damsel in distress."

"This isn't a game, love. No one is playing. Least of all me."

Bella frowned.

"I love you, Isabella. Your life is the most precious thing in my entire world. I cannot tolerate the thought of harm coming to you in any form, least of all from me. For my sanity, will you please try to understand that?"

She reached up to touch my cheek. I relaxed into the warmth of her touch for a brief moment, at least until she spoke again.

"You can't protect me from everything, Edward. I will die someday, and in the meantime, as long as I remain human there will always be some catastrophe lurking on the horizon. Are you going to sweep me out of town every time a nomad passes through? Or some natural disaster is predicted? Are you going to force me to start driving some car with bullet-proof glass and armored side panels? Or insist that I live in a fire and bombproof house?"

She shook her head. "I don't want to be treated like I'm made of glass for the rest of my life."

Placing my hand over hers, I smiled wearily.

"Would it help you to know that at several junctures, Jasper has had half a mind to take Alice and, as he put it, high-tail it for the hills? Or that Rosalie would be more than content to spend the next ten years in complete isolation with Emmett, rather than spend a single second with him in harm's way?"

Bella made no answer, so I lowered our joined hands and wound her delicate fingers with my unbreakable ones.

"Love, the instinct to protect one's... _other half_ is almost overwhelming. Even Carlisle is at his most irrational where Esme is concerned. So you see..." I smiled softly, raising our hands to my lips briefly. "Human... not human... The urge is the same."

Bella's cheeks turned an enticing shade of pink, but she smiled a soft, secret smile.

"I get that," she said. "I would have rather had you here with me this whole time than back in Washington chasing down newborn vampires and running with werewolves."

I chuckled. "Technically, I was in Canada, but at least you understand me. You do understand, don't you?"

She nodded. "I do. I'll call Jerry this evening. It's three hours difference? Or four?"

"As long as we call before eight o'clock, he should still be at work."

"Okay," she sighed. "I'll see what he says."

"Thank you, love."

She smiled and squeezed my hand. "Don't thank me yet. He might say no."

"We'll see," I said haughtily. If Bella's boss said no, Embry had already volunteered to cover for Bella and corroborate whatever story we came up with.

Bella laughed at my confident tone, and reached for the door handle.

I immediately opened my own door and made my way around to her, all but ignoring the valet as I handed him the keys to the rental car. I gave him my name and a small tip, then opened Bella's door before he could get to it.

She smiled and turned to me. "I don't have my shoes."

I winked. "It would be an honor if you'd allow me to assist you."

"Well, thank you, kind sir," she said, teasing.

I chuckled and knelt down to pick her up. It was a struggle to make it appear as though it took some effort to lift her from the car in that position, but I made a valiant attempt at feigning muscle strain.

Bella shot me an odd look and I shrugged. We maneuvered through the lobby of the hotel and made our way back up the stairs that Bella had nearly tumbled down earlier.

I made sure to keep up the appearance that carrying Bella had a physical effect on me. Which was true, though the effect was nothing like exertion. I just loved having her in my arms. I craved the heat that her warm, live body transferred to me as I held her. Like her blood, her warmth was nearly intoxicating.

When we reached the ballroom where Jessica's wedding reception was already in progress, I set Bella gently on her feet. She straightened her dress and then reached up to smooth my tie and jacket.

"You really do look wonderful in this. Well, you look wonderful in anything, but I've never seen you in a suit before."

I smiled, feeling genuinely flattered. There were moments –moments like this– when I still marveled that she truly didn't view me as a monster, but simply as a man. A man she found appealing. It made me somewhat more comfortable with how often I noticed and admired her feminine beauty, in addition to making me feel more human than ever because of it.

"I could say the same of you, my love. I have, in fact. If I wasn't clear enough before, your dress is the direct cause of your swollen ankle. You're absolutely stunning."

Heat flooded Bella's cheeks and her heart stuttered. I found that I too felt a corporeal response to my words; I couldn't stop my arm from reaching out to run the backs of my fingers over her bare shoulder and down her arm. She shuddered and gripped my hand tightly with her own to stop me from repeating the motion.

"Stop," she whispered. I began to pull my hand away and apologize. She it held tighter. "No, it's just... now you're the one testing _my_ control."

I froze. Though, if I'd needed to breathe, my chest would have been heaving. The energy between us reached a crescendo and it took every ounce of restraint to obey her. It would have been folly not to. She had no idea how she affected me, and at that moment, were she to push me, I would have no recourse left to resist her.

"We should go inside," I said finally.

"Yes," Bella agreed.

I reached out for one of the doors to the room behind us. Bella blinked her dark, brown eyes and took a deep breath. I exhaled with her and gripped the handle.

"Ready?"

She smiled softly. "As I'll ever be."

Inside the ballroom, the space was lit softly, candles and low ambient lighting being used rather than the large fixtures overhead. The room smelled strongly of food, alcohol, flowers and pheromones, but it was rather typical for an event of this type and easy enough to ignore when Bella was nearby.

A dozen tables sat scattered around a parquet dance floor. White tablecloths were draped with fuchsia overlays, tangerine placemats sat beneath white china place settings –most of which, were already being cleared of salad and bread sticks. Floral arrangements stood at the center of each table, filled with roses and gerberas in matching colors, while small candles burned around the base of the large vases.

The chairs were covered in white, draped with pink. The place cards were white, printed in pink. Tall crystal goblets were filled with pink champagne. The cake, standing proudly in one corner of the room, was covered in white fondant and, of course... pink, lots of pink, with sprays of tangerine colored roses added at the base of each layer.

Bella shifted next to me, tentatively stepping into the room on her own power.

"Jessica likes pink. Obviously..." She gestured to both the room and her dress.

I smiled. "It looks lovely on you, though the room..."

She giggled. "I know. To quote Sally Field, the place looks like it's been hosed down in Pepto-Bismol."

I chuckled at the reference. Steel Magnolias was one of Esme's favorite films of all time.

Bella held fast to my arm, hobbling along beside me with a beautiful smile on her face. As we stepped forward, Angela happened to look up from her seat. She smiled and put her fork down before sliding her chair back from the table.

"We've been spotted," I said softly.

Bella nodded and waved her fingers at her friend. Angela stood and moved behind Jessica to inform her we'd returned and soon Jessica was moving to stand as well.

"No, Jess. Sit down and eat while you can. I'll take care of it."

"Thank you, Ang. Tell her we're sorry. I'm sorry."

"Of course," Angela smiled softly, and left the table to make her way to where we were standing. I could see most of the events that transpired before our arrival as she shifted through what to tell Bella.

I leaned close to Bella's ear. "It appears as though we've missed the bride and groom's entrance, their first dance, and the toasts. Angela did yours for you. Something tells me you have no objection to that."

Bella shook her head. "No, not at all. Besides, Angela helped me figure out what to say anyhow."

We made our way around the tables eventually meeting Angela halfway.

"Bella! You made it back already!" Angela cheered. "It couldn't have been too bad then, right?"

Bella shook her head. "Not too bad, just a sprain, and thanks to Edward I got the VIP treatment."

I glanced down at her, tempted to raise an eyebrow, but she was studiously ignoring me.

Angela beamed. "Oh, that's such a relief. Well, I mean, it still stinks that you're hurt, but you would have been gone a lot longer if it had been broken or something."

I smiled and Bella nodded. "Yeah, probably."

"Well, I'm glad that's not the case," Angela said, waving a hand and leading us to the opposite side of the ballroom. "Follow me you two. We decided to move you from the head table earlier because we weren't sure you were going to get back in time for dinner. Also I was thinking that you might need a little room to put your foot up or something if you did get back in time for dinner, so... I hope this is okay."

She stopped in front of a table for six that was a little to the right of the head table, but closer to the edge of the ballroom than it was to the dance floor. Another couple sat there already, a man and woman who it appeared to have just met when they were seated. They looked up from their salads at our arrival wearing matching expressions of forced cordiality.

_Who is this clown...? I don't like him._

_ Why is _she_ here? Shouldn't she be over there with the other "pretty pink princesses" all in a row?_

I raised an eyebrow at them while Angela made introductions. The woman was one of Jessica's coworkers, while the man was a civilian friend of the groom's. It was fairly obvious that they'd been seated next to one other intentionally, and as the bride had hoped, the two seemed to have a lot in common. For one; neither one of them wanted any competition or any company at the moment. Unfortunately for them, they had no say in the matter.

Bella sat first. I pulled her chair out for her as well as the one on her left. She indulged me by elevating her leg in spite of the fact she claimed it felt much better now. I sat to her right and we made idle chit chat with the other couple for as short a time as we could without appearing rude. The moment our entrees were placed in front of us, our companions turned back toward each other and continued their previous conversation, while Bella and I turned to each other.

"Well, that wasn't uncomfortable at all," Bella mumbled under her breath.

I chuckled. "Speaking of uncomfortable... Here." I handed her a single tablet from the prescription bottle in my breast pocket.

Bella sighed but took the pill without further complaint.

"If I get loopy, I'm blaming you," she said after swallowing.

"You wouldn't be wrong to," I said with an apologetic smile.

She shook her head, smiling in return. "Don't go all broody on me again. I'm just glad to know that you are quite capable of carrying me to my room, should the need arise."

I began to respond when my attention was captured by a whispered conversation behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Nick standing and the DJ making his way to their table with a microphone.

"Oh, my. I'm afraid you're not going to like this."

She looked up from assaulting her baked potato with a butter knife. "What?"

"Nick and Jessica are going to be saying their thank yous and Jessica apparently wants everyone to know just what you've been through for her today..."

"Oh, no," Bella groaned.

Jessica stood at her husband's side. "Excuse me, everyone. Please keep eating, or waiting to eat, as the case may be." She giggled softly and smiled. Nick took the microphone from her.

"We just wanted to thank everyone for joining us today to celebrate this completely frick-awesome occasion–"

"Nick!" Jessica shouted playfully.

Her husband laughed, as did most of the room.

"Well, it is frick-awesome... but," he said when Jessica reached for the microphone. "In all seriousness, we really do want to take the time right now to say thank you to a few special people, as well as thank the rest of you for joining us on this special day. First and foremost to our parents, for giving birth to us and stuff, but also for helping us pay for this shindig..."

Everyone laughed and the groom continued on with his speech until the entire room lifted their glasses in honor of the couple's parents. Jessica took the microphone then and said her thanks to her loved ones as well, concluding by pointing Bella out.

"And even though she really hates being the center of attention, and will probably never forgive me for this... I wanted to make sure everyone here knew how amazing Bella was today and that she never complained even once. Despite the fact that she warned me what would happen if I made her wear heels."

I could feel the heat in Bella's cheeks as she hid her face against my shoulder. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"So, anyway," Jessica continued. "To my Maid of Honor... Bella, here's to your future health and happiness –may you never have to wear another pair of strappy sandals as long as you live. I love you, sweetie."

The room was filled with a chorus of laughter and murmured cheers. Bella glanced up and raised her glass to Jess with narrowed eyes, mouthing that she would get her for this. Jessica laughed and shot her a wink before turning back to her husband and the rest of their guests.

"And what are you smiling at?" Bella asked, taking note of my grin.

"I'm just enjoying seeing another side of you. I've never seen you quite so sassy. Or so embarrassed. Your parents embarrassed you less at graduation than Jessica did just now."

She rolled her eyes. "My parents didn't put me in the spotlight in front of a room full of people. They merely asked questions about things that were none of their business. Do you know my mother actually asked me..." She stopped and closed her eyes with a slight shake of her head. "Never mind."

"She asked you what?"

"Nothing."

"No, it was something. Tell me."

Bella turned in her seat to face her food. "No. If you didn't already overhear it with your magical hearing, then I'm not telling."

"Bella..."

"Eat your veggies, Edward."

I raised an eyebrow, watching as she smiled sideways at me. The mischief was clear in both her gaze and the devilish curl of her lip.

I picked up my fork and knife and cut into a piece of cold eggplant parmesan, popping it in my mouth, chewing dramatically and then swallowing before she could react.

She blinked at me, her mouth slack. I winked and cut into the disgusting, gelatinous muck yet again.

"Eat your steak, Bella."

From the corner of my eye I watched as she stared at me for a moment before turning back to her food.

"Touché," she whispered lowly.

I laughed and raised my fork to my mouth yet again. "This is decent," I commented. "Not the best I've ever had, but good."

Bella began sniggering. I played with my food some more for her entertainment, even transferring some of the green beans to Bella's plate when I was sure nobody was looking. I'm not even sure Bella noticed, but she continued to smile and giggle between bites of her filet mignon.

At one point, she turned to me waving her fork and gasped. "Oh! Save room for cake, Edward."

"I beg your pardon?"

She lowered her arm, her fork clattering against the plate in the process. "Cake. Wedding cake? Save room for that."

I looked into her eyes to determine if she was serious. Her pupils were dilated more than usual.

I chuckled. "I think the Vicoprofen kicked in. How's your ankle?"

She shrugged. "I can't feel it."

"Well, that would– "

"Oh," she gasped suddenly, dropping her fork and raising her hand to her mouth.

"What? What's wrong?"

She began giggling. "Oh, no... Oh, shoot."

"What?"

"I drank the champagne. After taking the pills. I took two sips of champagne."

"When did you do that?" I thought back quickly.

"When Jessica was going on and on about what a fabulous friend I am. I think you were too busy getting your jollies at my expense to notice. I mean, there's no way you would have let me drink it if you'd noticed."

"Definitely not. Are you sure it was just two sips?"

She held up her glass, examining it. There was less than a half inch difference in the volume. I quickly began calculating, as well as glancing at the other glasses on the table.

"Bella, be honest. How are you feeling?" I asked.

I turned her head towards me gently.

"Fuzzy," she mumbled.

I placed both hands on her face and tilted her chin up a little, examining her eyes and watching them react. It would have been easier if I had a penlight, but...

"What are you doing?" Bella said amusedly.

I lifted a finger in front of her face. "Can you follow my finger?"

She rolled her eyes before complying. "I'm fine, Edward."

"No, you're on a prescription narcotic and just mixed it with alcohol. You could have serious complications."

She placed one of her warm hands over mine.

"Edward, look at me."

I sighed and met her glassy gaze.

"I know I'm acting a little wacky, but I really think I'm fine. Honestly, the same thing happened after I had my wisdom teeth out. Well, not the champagne, but the rest. They gave me something with hydro... whatever-it's-called in it, and I got all loopy. I was making no sense and laughing at everything that struck me as remotely funny, even with my jaw all swollen up. You can ask Angela. It was ridiculous."

I noted that at least her speech seemed unaffected.

She looked at the glass again. "I only had like, I don't know, two ounces of champagne. Maybe four." She handed it to me and smirked. "I bet you can tell me eggs-actly."

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Not exactly, but close. I believe it was around an ounce, maybe an ounce and a half, which –depending on the brand of champagne– means you consumed approximately an eighth of an ounce of ethyl alcohol."

"Huh?"

I chuckled. "It means that with your body weight and the dosage of hydrocodone, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen working its way through your system, I'm going to be keeping a very close eye on you."

She smirked. "And that's different from every other day, how?"

"Isabella..."

She sniggered again. "No, I'm sorry. You're worried, I get it. It should be okay though, right? I can drink a lot of water and order a coke or something else with caffeine in it. What about some strong coffee?"

"That would help keep your breathing rate up, but you're going to have to eat, Bella. Your entire meal, and maybe some of mine."

She grimaced. "Umm... no offense, but unless you want me to be throwing up with you later, that'll be a 'no' on the eggplant."

"At least take the green beans."

She turned her nose up. "They're cold already."

"Oh, for the love of..."

She started giggling again. "Fine, you big baby. Slide them on over. And don't think I didn't notice you putting stuff on my plate earlier."

I stopped what I was doing to look at her. "You're far too perceptive for your own good. Do you know that?"

She shrugged and reached for her water. "I try."

To my great relief and amusement, the next twenty minutes passed in a similar fashion. Bella was right. She was truly ridiculous under the influence, and after she'd gotten a good amount of water and food in her system, I was more confident that it was just a normal reaction to the narcotic pain reliever and not an overdose situation. The fact that I hadn't been able to detect even the hint of alcohol in Bella's blood seemed to confirm that.

Of course, I kept checking just to make sure. Or, at least, that was what I told myself.

"Are you smelling me again?" Bella asked suddenly. Her voice was now a bit more sleepy than amused.

I smiled and kissed her wrist. "Yes."

She yawned. "Why? Do you enjoy suffering? Are you a masochist?"

I chuckled and kissed her wrist again, then the inside of her elbow before pulling on her arm carefully. She understood and got up from her chair, allowing me to pull her the rest of the way to me. I slid my own chair back and sat her across my lap.

"What are you doing?" she asked, another giggle escaping her.

"Holding you."

She looked around the room.

"Nobody's paying attention to us, they're too busy dancing, drinking, and gossiping about the bride and groom."

Bella hummed and settled in, placing her head on my shoulder. "You know, I don't want you to be in pain, Edward. Ever. I'm sorry."

"Hush now, love. It's not really like that anymore. I've grown accustomed to it. In fact, I've been intentionally smelling you all afternoon. I missed you."

She sighed. "You missed me making your throat burn like fire?"

"No. I missed _you_. Just you."

Her lips touched my neck softly. "I missed you, too. I'm so glad you're here."

A relieved breath escaped. "Me too."

With another soft sigh, her arms increased their meager hold on me and I held her close while we watched the celebration around us continue on.

~(~)~

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_**Thank you for reading! And huge "thank you"s to everyone who has ever reviewed! Would you look at that? You've left over 1000 of them! I'm so honored by that. Truly. **_

_**I'm also quite grateful to those of you who checked on me and on the status of WDH in my silence this past month. I appreciate your concern and your love of this story. It WILL be finished. The only reason for the delay at this point is my need/desire to do this right. Have you ever read and loved a story only to get to the last few chapters and feel them fall flat? Yeah, I'm trying like heck to avoid that. For your happiness, as well as my own. It just takes some effort, but please know that quality is my goal, and I hope you guys will stick with me in the meantime. :-)**_

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_**Much Love, **_

_**~Ginnie**_

_**PS- The champagne/hydrocodone thing? Big, big no-no. Okay? While that was based on a real life situation, and accidents do happen, it's never a good idea to mix the two. Ever.  
All right... public service announcement done. ;-)  
**_


	31. Chapter 30: Unedited

_**Here's where I pretend it has NOT been a month since I updated. *palms face* How did that happen? **_

_**Anyway... here is your update, faithful readers. More notes and thanks at the end! :-)**_

* * *

_**Disclaimer:**__** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, brands, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**_

* * *

**Chapter 30:**

"**Unedited"**

_EPOV-_

Not surprisingly, between the alcohol and the hydrocodone, Bella became markedly drowsy not long after she curled up in my arms. She was just about to drift off to sleep right there at the table, when I saw Angela making her way off of the dance floor with a tiny companion who was eager to see the girl seated across my lap.

I roused Bella and shifted her from my chair to her own. She blinked confusedly at me when I tried to explain. She barely had time to take a drink of her Coke before she found herself being pounced on by a rambunctious toddler.

"Bewwa!" Caroline didn't give me a cursory glance as she scampered up and wrapped her arms around Bella's neck.

"Hey, baby... Are you having fun?" Bella said, stifling a yawn.

"Uh, huh," Caroline answered.

"Hello, Angela," I said, smiling at her as she took the open seat next to Bella. Her thoughts were almost as haggard as her breathing. "Your little friend isn't wearing you out, is she?"

Angela laughed. "Oh, no, not at all... She's just jump-starting my summer fitness program for me."

"Are you wearing Angela out, Care Bear?" Bella asked, tickling the child's side.

"Nooo!" she squealed, giggling.

Bella hugged Caroline to her and rocked her a bit while the little girl told her about all the dances she'd "taught" Angela.

Angela laughed and then turned to me. "So are you guys doing okay over here?"

I heard her, but the real focus of my attention was on Bella, struck by the memory of Alice's first clear vision of her all those months ago. I'd been so afraid at the time that this curly-haired toddler was Bella's child. I'd like to think I would have been happy for her had that been the case, but it was still a painful thing to consider. It also reminded me that I was a most selfish creature.

Fortunately, Angela didn't notice my distraction and with a serene smile locked in place, I was able to reply.

"We're doing fine, Angela. Thank you for asking."

"I'm sorry I interrupted," she said, honestly chagrined. "You guys looked so content, but Caroline wanted Bella."

"It's all right," I smiled. "I think Bella was actually just about to fall asleep before you came over."

"I'm sitting right here, you know," she said, looking up from Caroline for a moment.

Angela and I laughed softly and watched as Caroline gave Bella Eskimo kisses. It was just like Alice's vision of them from a few months ago.

"They're wonderful together, aren't they?"

I blinked at Angela's words and her thoughts. She was watching me as I watched them. The wistful expression on my face was obvious.

"They are," I answered. "Did Bella spend a lot of time with her before they moved?"

Angela nodded, smiling fondly at the two of them as Caroline sat in Bella's lap talking animatedly.

"We both tried to help Jessica out as often as we could. Jess was a hair stylist at an upscale salon downtown, which meant she had to work weekends most of the time. Every other weekend Caroline's dad took her, but on the off weekends, I watched her on Saturdays and Bella had her on Sundays. Oh, and Bella also took her to her dance class on Mondays. Jessica would often get held up at work and Bella was off that day, so..."

"Not to mention that it was Renee's idea," Bella added, looking over my shoulder at Angela.

"Your mother?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Yes. She brought it up in front of Caroline one night when she was visiting. I told you that this little munchkin likes ballerinas, right?"

"Yes," I answered.

"I wuuuuv ballerinas," Caroline corrected her. I laughed.

"Yes, well... my mom started going on and on how Jessica should put her in lessons when she saw how Caroline's room was decorated. Jess couldn't really afford it, but Caroline had her heart set on getting dance lessons after that and wouldn't drop it."

Angela giggled. "She even prayed about it during her bedtime prayers."

Bella laughed then covered a yawn with her hand before continuing. "Renee eventually sent some money for her at Christmas, and Angela and I pooled together as well so we could get Jess & Caroline a gift certificate for lessons. I think we ended up having enough for three months' worth?"

Angela nodded. "Yeah, and then Jessica took it up to Mike and he offered to pay for the lessons after that."

I got a clear image of an older Mike Newton in the little girl's head when she heard Angela mention her father. "Daddy says I'm a bweautiful dancer."

"You are," Angela answered. "Would you like to go dance some more?"

"I want Bewwa to dance with me."

Bella sighed. "I hurt my foot, kiddo. I can't dance right now."

"Maybe waiter?" I was fairly sure she meant maybe _later._

"We'll see," Bella said looking over at me.

I simply smiled. Caroline turned to look at me.

"Will he come, too?" she whispered.

Bella shook her head. "I don't know. Should we ask him?"

The tiny child stared at me wide-eyed and nervous, eventually leaning in close to Bella's ear. "You can ask him."

"Okay," Bella chuckled.

Angela stood. "Maybe we can ask Bella and Edward again in a little bit, after Mommy cuts the cake? What do you think about that, Care Bear? We can even go ask Grandma when that will be."

Angela winked at Bella and stood up. Her thoughts revealed that the child had already asked about her mother's wedding cake a dozen or so times. Bella caught on to the idea and laughed, putting Caroline down.

"That sounds like a great idea," Bella said. "Go ask your grandmother about the cake."

Caroline's eyes lit up and she eagerly took Angela's hand.

I chuckled and watched the little girl bounce away with Angela in tow. I slid my chair closer to Bella's then put my arm over her shoulder. She leaned into me and sighed.

"What exactly do you have against Mrs. Stanley?" I teased.

Bella giggled. "I don't have anything against her per se. She's just..." She drew an exasperated breath. "She's impossible. She makes everything difficult. I'm sooo glad my mother is easygoing."

I chuckled. "Renee is that. I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me now what it was she asked you that had you so flustered."

Bella hummed. "No... I don't think so." She seemed distracted and when I looked at her, her eyes were still focused on Caroline across the room.

"You really are wonderful with her. I could watch you two for hours."

Her face lifted into a smile. "That's good. You'll get your chance tomorrow."

"Will I?" I asked, somewhat uncertainly.

Bella sat up and turned, regarding me for a moment. "If you want to. I wouldn't force you to spend time with her, but I'm supposed to have her until sometime in the afternoon."

"We'll see, love. She's so young. She really shouldn't be anywhere near me."

I found my mood slipping.

"Edward..."

"May I ask you something, honestly?" Bella nodded, so I continued. "How do you think Jessica would feel were she to know the truth?"

Her eyes danced back and forth, searching my own, but obviously mulling over my statement. She sighed.

"I can see your point. But I know you would never hurt her."

"Not intentionally."

She smiled sadly and leaned in to kiss me softly. When she pulled back, her gaze was inquisitive. "Will you tell me what changed just now? You seemed so happy a moment ago."

"I am still happy. We're just talking about the life of a very innocent child."

"There's something else."

I smiled at my perceptive girl and stroked her cheek with my thumb. "I was thinking again about how much you're giving up to be with me."

Her frown was instantaneous. "Caroline was never mine to give up, Edward. How can you..."

"I'm not talking about Jessica Stanley's daughter, love. What about your own daughters? Or sons?"

The last thing I was expecting was for her to giggle at that. "Do you know something that I don't? Because the last time I checked, I was still a virgin."

My eyes widened as did Bella's. She slapped her hand over mouth and muttered what I was fairly certain was a rather crude curse word.

"I didn't mean to say that," she gasped, trying to cover the rest of her face with her hands now. "Just ignore me. Please."

Her head fell to her knees while I processed her statement.

I'd suspected, of course —she'd hinted and I suppose that I'd foolishly even hoped it to be true— but it was still a surprise to learn that a beautiful, vibrant young woman of Bella's generation hadn't indulged in the carnal pursuits that were so common amongst her peers.

Not that I'd ever allowed myself to think long on the subject. It was ungentlemanly and, had I truly considered it, the mere idea would have tortured me. It still tortured me now, but knowing there was no cause for such anguish made it easy to put out of my mind.

Well, almost... Truthfully, the thought of Bella being untouched filled me with thoughts that were an altogether different kind of torture.

Nevertheless, a small smile took over my features while Bella continued to mutter into her hands. The quick, unsteady thrumming of her heart only served to emphasize her self-confessed innocence and endear her to me more.

"Bella..."

"No, please. Don't say anything. Just pretend I'm not here."

I chuckled. "Just look at me."

"No, I can't. I will never be able to look at you again."

I laughed and moved so that I could kneel before her. "Bella, please... there's nothing to be embarrassed over."

"Then why are you laughing?"

"Because you're being ridiculous."

She snorted and peeked up at me. "Thanks. Just what a twenty-two year old virgin wants to hear."

I reached out and stroked her cheek softly with my forefinger before carefully prying her hands away from her face. "You're adorable when you're embarrassed, you know..."

She took a flustered breath, opened her mouth as though she were going to speak and then dropped her gaze to the floor.

I couldn't help chuckling again, but kissed her temple before coming clean with her. "Sweetheart, out of the two of us, if anyone has a need to feel chagrined, it should be me."

I gave her a meaningful look and waited for her slightly intoxicated and very human mind to catch up. It took a while.

"I... that's impossible."

My eyebrows lifted. "What makes you say that?"

She gestured indiscriminately. "Well, you're... you! And you're... well... I mean... Are you really telling me what I think you're telling me!"

I frowned at the degree of her skepticism. "Why is so hard for you to believe?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but then faltered. "I... I don't know."

"I've told you time and again that there's been no one before you, love. Not in a century."

She shook her head and for the first time since this conversation began, really looked at me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

Realizing we had a small audience at this point, I lifted my body back into my chair and turned my body close to Bella's, sheltering her.

"I wasn't offended, just concerned you had some false impression I was unaware of. Though, I can't think of why you would assume such a thing."

Bella leaned into my side and put her hand on my lapel, speaking lowly. "I guess it's just that in my experience—well not my personal experience, but generally speaking—love and sex don't necessarily go together."

I smiled halfway. "True, but you have to remember, I grew up in a different world; a world where they did. At least, I was raised to believe they did, and in my experience, that's most definitely the case."

Bella's body shuddered a little. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," I answered, using her casual language.

She smiled and shook her head. "I was raised to believe the almost exact opposite, you know."

Suddenly she laughed.

"What is it?" I asked her.

Her eyes danced in amusement. "That's exactly why my mother asked me the question she did. You know, the one I wouldn't tell you about?"

I groaned. "Are you going to keep tormenting me with that?"

Bella giggled. "No. No..." She shook her head slightly and then lifted her gaze to mine slowly. "I'll tell you now if you want me to, but I don't know if you'll like it."

The way she was chewing on her bottom lip almost distracted me from her warning, but I very much wanted to hear this, so I took my chances.

"You have to tell me now."

She blushed and dropped her gaze. "She wanted to know how it was. How, um... good, or not good, _it_ was."

I frowned. "Meaning how we get along?"

Bella's eyes met mine, and exasperated look on her very red face. My eyes widened in response.

"Oh..."

"Yeah."

I had no idea what to say to that.

Bella took one of my hands and began nervously tracing my fingers with her own. "She didn't mean anything intrusive by it. She just assumed that we would have... _you know_."

My frown deepened. "I know."

We were quiet a moment, each absorbed in our own thoughts. Before our conversation could resume, we were interrupted by an announcement that the bride and groom would be cutting the cake soon. Bella took the opportunity to drink as much of her Coca-Cola as possible and turn her coffee cup upright for when the server came by again.

She turned back to me as we stood in preparation to cross the room where the cake cutting would take place. "Are you upset? Should I have not told you that?"

I sighed. "I'm relieved it's no longer a mystery. I just don't understand what her intention was. "

Bella smiled. "Renee's always been an over-sharer. She wanted me to feel comfortable talking to her about anything because she didn't have that with her own mother. Unfortunately, she had a tendency to overdo it. No subject is ever taboo. And... this is the first time she's ever seen me with someone I cared so much about. She was naturally concerned."

I had no choice but to agree with the last part. Renee's thoughts had revealed as much.

"She wanted to be sure you weren't confusing love with lust," I concluded.

Bella nodded. "Something like that. She wanted to make sure that I wasn't being swept away by your many physical attributes or confusing great, um, _chemistry_ for love."

She winced a little and I knew her candor made her nearly as uncomfortable as it did me. Still, I was extremely curious about one thing. I waited to ask until after we'd watched the new Mr. and Mrs. Hansen smash cake into each other's mouths. Once the DJ began playing music again, I leaned close to her ear.

"Bella? How did you decide to answer your mother's questions?"

She blushed. "I told her everything was fine and not to worry."

"Is that all?"

Her heart stuttered in its rhythm. "Well, I may have told her we were waiting."

"Waiting... For?"

She shrugged, her blush heating anew. I could feel it against my skin and smiled. Suddenly, a few things about her mother's visit made more sense.

"Well, no wonder."

"No wonder what?" Bella turned in my arms.

I gazed longingly into her eyes, secretly also analyzing how dilated they were. I sort of wanted her to remember this conversation if it led anywhere significant.

"Your mother was very worried we were rushing things. Or that I was rushing. She thought you might be feeling pressured into a more formal commitment."

Bella blinked, but said nothing.

"I couldn't understand where her concerns had come from," I continued. "They hadn't been there when we first met, but on the day of your graduation, it was almost all Renee could think about."

She narrowed her eyes in thought. "We had our little talk the night before, after you left and Charlie went to bed. You never mentioned this to me before, though."

I shrugged. "What would I have said? We hadn't even broached the subject together."

She furrowed her brow. "I guess not."

"You did bring it up earlier," I said tentatively.

Her breath hitched. "What? Marriage?"

I nodded.

She looked away. "I didn't mean to. It just slipped out."

"That's happened a few times today."

A couple of guests meandered by us, eavesdropping on our conversation. Bella seemed to notice them as well and appeared uncomfortable. I stepped back a few feet until we were standing on a deserted corner of the wooden dance floor. She didn't even notice my arms moving as I positioned them around her properly.

"You never had a chance to answer me," I said, lifting her so all of her weight rested in my arms, her feet balancing on my shoes.

"Answer you?" Her eyes took in our surroundings, but she didn't protest when I casually and carefully began swaying her to the music.

"I asked you if that was something you might want for your future."

Her fingers tightened over my shoulder and in my hand. "I don't... I didn't used to think so, but I..." She sighed and turned her head to lay it against my chest. "I don't think I can talk about this right now. I keep saying everything wrong, Edward."

I held her to me. "There is no right or wrong here, love. But I understand if you'd like to talk another time."

She hummed.

"Although," I chuckled. "Tonight may be the most unedited I've ever heard you. I love knowing what's on your mind. When it's on your mind."

Giggling almost inaudibly, she tilted her head up to look at me. "Even if it's ducks on ladders."

"What!" I asked, laughing loudly.

"It just popped into my head. I think I was dreaming about ducks when I fell asleep on you earlier."

"Isabella, you're absurd."

She rolled her eyes. "You have me dancing on a half-broken ankle and you call me absurd?"

"I do believe I'll take that as a hint."

Her smile was half victorious, half mischievous. "You wouldn't have needed a hint if I wasn't all drugged up. There's no way you would have gotten me out here otherwise."

"Is that so?" I responded, leading her back to our table.

"I thought I told you that I don't dance."

Yet, despite her protests and my attempts to keep her off of her injured ankle as much as possible, it turned out that Bella could dance, or would rather, with the right motivation.

Jessica's daughter was apparently the key. When the DJ played Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" late in the reception, the little girl immediately became the center of attention in the room. She was quickly swept away to the center of the dance floor by her mother, new step-father, and other family and friends. An impromptu sing-along broke out and Angela came to get Bella, her thoughts certain Bella wouldn't want to miss the moment. She turned out to be right, and with an only somewhat reticent sigh, Bella made her way towards the group with my help and Angela's.

When we reached the crowd, I stayed on the sidelines despite my very great concern that Bella would re-injure herself. She ended up coping with the situation well, and at the very least, I got to hear her sing for the second time in a day. She smiled across the room at me when the song was over, and after giving Caroline a big hug, attempted to make her way out of the center of the crowd.

I immediately went to her aid.

"Thank you," she sighed when I'd successfully extricated her.

I smiled and swept her up off of the floor. "You're very welcome."

"What are you doing?" She half giggled, half groaned as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

I chuckled. "Rescuing you."

She smiled against my neck, but said nothing else. I lowered my voice.

"I don't suppose I could persuade you to dance with me like this before we go?"

She shook her head. "You already got me to dance once."

"But not to this song."

"It is a nice song."

I smiled, feeling victory closing in as the room was filled with the rhythmic strains of a classic; The Platters' 1958 rendition of "_Smoke Gets In Your Eyes"._

"I'm surprised you know it," I said casually.

"Edward..." Bella warned as I moved us through the crowd.

"Don't worry... you don't have to do anything. I'll do all the hard work."

She scoffed. "Can you keep all these people from staring at us?"

"Just keep your eyes on mine."

Her cheeks warmed. "You'll dazzle me if I do that."

"Is that a fact?" I asked, half teasing, half taunting.

Her heart beat faster. "Yes..."

"Hmm... well, I'll try not to."

Bella looked left and right, before locking her eyes back on mine. I smiled at her self-conscious expression and offered her a distraction as we began to move to the music. "Ignore them. Tell me how you know this song."

"Um... it was in an old movie. My mom used to watch it a lot when I was little. I don't know why, but I loved it, too."

"What was the movie?" There had been several over the years, going all the way back to the thirties.

"Always."

"Always?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah, that's the title. It was about this–"

"Hot-shot aerial firefighting pilot named Pete Sandrich, who dies after taking one too many risks with his life and then gets sent back to earth as the guardian angel of a less experienced pilot?"

Eyebrows raised high, she blinked. "Uh, so you know it."

I laughed. "Yes, I know it. But you said it was an _old_ movie, Bella. I was thinking something a little less recent than 1989."

She took a moment to process that and then smiled. "I guess I didn't think about it like that. To me it is old. I was two in 1989."

I held her and swayed to the music. "It's a somewhat sad movie."

"It's romantic though. And, I guess I like my romances a little bit sad."

"Do you?"

"Think about all my favorites. They all have tragic characters, tragic circumstances, or star-crossed lovers."

"Do you ever think about us like that?"

She shook her head where it rested on my shoulder. "No, but I know our story isn't over yet. I hope it won't ever be over."

I sighed. "You would give up your life, your very soul, for love? Is that your version of a happy ending?"

"Any ending where I get to stay with you forever, is a happy one to me."

Her fingers slid up into the hair at the nape of my neck and began a soothing repetitive motion as the song reached its climactic end.

It was with a wistful heart that I walked off the dance floor with her still in my arms. Returning to our table in silence, I wondered what I could say. This was no place to have that particular discussion with her again. Not to mention, every time we had it I felt a little further from my goal of convincing Bella to remain human.

When we were seated, Bella took my hand in hers and intertwined our fingers.

"What's your version of a happy ending, Edward?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "Perhaps one where things are as they should be."

"Does that mean the hero and heroine always end up together?"

"Well, romances were never my favorites. Love, as it's commonly depicted inside of a romance, is often selfish. People are willing to sacrifice almost anything, even their morals, to get what they want. I guess I feel that they should end up together if it is the right thing."

"So you're not a believer in love overcoming all odds, conquering any evil, righting any wrong?"

"No, not necessarily, but I do believe in the redemptive power of love. To a certain extent, of course. Some things are beyond redemption."

"I don't believe that," she said, her voice as strong as it had ever been.

I sighed and shook my head. "And that is why we will always be at an impasse."

Bella touched my chin with two fingers. I turned to face her and she smiled, her face surprisingly peaceful.

"Someday I'll find a way to prove you wrong. Wait and see."

My answering smile was more hesitant, but no less genuine. "I'll look forward to it."

And I would. Were she able to find a way to restore my faith, it would be a true miracle.

Finally, blessedly, the reception neared its end and just before Jessica and her groom shared a final dance, they said goodbye to Bella.

I shook hands with a slightly less nervous Nick Hansen and gave the bride a very brief, socially acceptable kiss on the cheek. I somewhat imagined Alice dropping something in shock if she saw it. Even Bella seemed a bit taken aback, but after reading Jessica's thoughts and realizing she planned to hug me, it seemed the better option to me. My cool lips were less troublesome to explain away than my rigid muscles, should Jessica notice.

Bella laughed when I filled her in and then we watched on as the happy couple said their goodbyes to a sleeping Caroline. The rest of the guests lined up on either side of the open ballroom doors for their exit. I was surprised when that odd and overpowering feeling of envy resurfaced at the sight of them being showered with confetti.

Looking down at Bella where she stood tucked into my side, I couldn't help but think her expression was somewhat longing as well.

Did I dare to believe it was anything more than my imagination?

My unnecessary breath caught when her eyes were suddenly there, gazing up into mine, and brimming with tears.

"Bella?"

She smiled, swallowing down whatever emotion she was feeling. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "Is it time for more pain medicine?" Yes, I tried to reason away the situation. It was just too much to hope for.

She blinked rapidly, shaking her head. "No. It's not that."

"Then what?"

"I just love you," she said shakily.

I smiled and pulled her to me, burying my face in her hair. "I love you, too, my Bella. Always."

I would have kissed her then and there, or asked her to marry me then and there, but the guests were filing out all around us, several of them staring.

I pulled back a little and stroked Bella's cheek. "Are you ready to get out of here?"

She nodded, then looked around. The remaining members of the wedding party were in a flurry of activity.

"Oh, um, maybe we should help first?"

Fortunately, Angela was just about to make her way over and tell Bella to head upstairs to rest.

"I don't think that will be necessary," I said, pointing as her friend appeared carrying a small handbag in one hand and a pair of familiar shoes in the other.

"Hey, guys!"

"Hi, Ang," Bella answered.

"So... this is yours," she said, handing the bag to Bella. "And these, too."

Bella laughed as she took the shoes from her. "Thank you."

Angela smiled. "No problem. I almost forgot that I had them. You were such a trooper, you made me forget you were even hurt."

Bella shook her head, predictably disagreeing. "It wasn't so bad. I just hope Jessica wasn't too disappointed that I sat around for most of the reception."

Angela frowned reprovingly. "You didn't just sit around, and please... could you not tell that Jess was in her element tonight? She was way too happy to be disappointed in anything."

Bella laughed softly. "She did seem pretty happy. Almost as happy as you were around six months ago, as I recall."

Angela flushed a little and waved her hand. "Oh, stop." Her mind immediately went to her husband and their own wedding day.

Again, the feeling I'd only known in Bella's presence returned and I found myself feeling shockingly jealous of them.

"So, what can we do to help?" Bella said suddenly, breaking Angela's train of thought and mine.

I was relieved when Angela dismissed Bella from any bridesmaid duties and ordered her upstairs. Bella argued, of course, but Angela was a good friend and wouldn't hear of it.

"I'm serious, Bella. We've got this covered. You need to stay off your feet, and well, you have company. Edward..." Angela said, pausing to take a calming breath and order her thoughts as she addressed me. "I don't know what your plans are for sleeping arrangements, but if you don't have a reservation anywhere yet, I can bunk with one of the other girls and you can stay with Bella in our room. It's, of course, up to you guys, but the option is there."

I smiled. "Thank you, Angela. I actually got the last available reservation when I called first thing this morning."

"I thought the hotel was sold out," Bella murmured.

I just shrugged casually. "I guess there was a cancellation."

Bella's eyes narrowed, but Angela clapped her hands. "Oh, good, I was worried."

It was amusing to see how fast Angela's next thought hit her, as well as how fast she became a bit embarrassed. "Umm... so, Bella, will you stay with Edward then?"

She looked between the two of us and I saw in her mind that Bella had apparently confided in Angela that I stayed over most nights. I wanted to show my surprise, but Bella's face was already flaming and Angela would grow even more uncomfortable if I did. Instead, I acted as if it was the most casual thing in the world.

"Wherever Bella's most comfortable is fine with me."

Angela smiled shyly and looked over at Bella. Bella shrugged and bit her bottom lip. "I don't know... I don't want to ditch you, not to mention my stuff is all over the room."

"So is mine," giggled Angela. Her eyes darted to me and back to Bella quickly. "I don't mind either way. I'll be busy for a little while helping Jessica's mom and dad load up the gifts and the leftover cake and stuff anyway. Then we're going to take Caroline to dinner so I can spend some time with her before I leave in the morning. You're welcome to join us of course, but I thought maybe..."

Angela looked at Bella with a meaningful expression. Bella's heart beat a little faster as she looked between the two of us.

Propriety got the best of me and I cleared my throat. "I think I'll give you two a moment. Please, excuse me."

Winking at Bella, I made my way towards the men's restroom, feigning my own need for a human moment. I allowed the girls several minutes to work things out between them. I tried to ignore as much of their conversation as I could while I waited. When I'd overheard them make their ultimate decision, I returned and said goodnight to Angela before leading Bella away to the elevators. Once inside, she turned to me.

"Please tell me you really got a room. Otherwise that entire awkward conversation was completely unnecessary."

I chuckled softly. "Do you think I would have willingly let you go through that, were that the case?"

She shook her head. "No... I guess not, I just wasn't sure. It's not as if you really need a place to sleep tonight."

"True, but it would rouse suspicions if I didn't."

Bella nodded, but said nothing else for a few seconds. When she did finally speak, it was hesitantly. "So... It's all right if I stay with you?"

"Of course, love. You don't have to ask. But I meant what I said to Angela, whatever you're most comfortable with is fine with me."

She blushed slightly. "I'm most comfortable with you, it's just different when people know you're sharing a _hotel _room for the night. They make assumptions, you know."

Her eyes stayed locked on the ground until I lifted her chin to me. "Does that bother you?"

She shook her head, her brown eyes wide and searching. "No. You?"

I smiled softly. "Not as much as it would have a few decades ago. I would have worried about tarnishing your good name back then."

She smiled and rolled her eyes at me. "Changing with the times, are we, Mr. Cullen?"

I grinned at her. "Perhaps... Or perhaps it's that I don't want to be away from you another moment, Miss Swan."

Her breath hitched at my statement and I could not hold back any longer. I leaned down to kiss her softly, having missed her more than she would ever know while we were parted. I'd become so accustomed to being saturated by her scent and her warmth all of the time that the absence of her left me feeling cold and barren, as I'd felt for so many years before she'd come along.

Between that, and the discussions we'd engaged in today, I really had been despairing at the thought of having to be parted from her again while she slept tonight. Fortunately for me, she must have been feeling similarly when she spoke to Angela.

When the elevator arrived on Bella's floor, we parted and walked side by side until she winced mid-step. I picked her up then and had her direct me to the room she was sharing with Angela. Once inside, she collected her things haphazardly, allowing me to help more than she would have under normal circumstances. It was an easy enough task, vampire speed made up for her things being all over the room as she'd warned.

Within a half an hour, we were back in the elevator and on our way to the top floor of the hotel. I'd not been to my room yet, as I'd only just checked in when I caught Bella's scent in the lobby and turned to see her dashing up the stairs. I knew, however, that it would be the one with the large double doors on the east side of the hotel.

Not surprisingly, Bella's eyes went wide when she saw the plaque over the door number.

"Edward..."

"I told you it was the last available room."

Her breath left her in a rush and she shook her head. "But... the Presidential Suite? I think I would have preferred it if you'd just planned to sneak in my room tonight after Angela was asleep."

I frowned and slid the keycard into the lock. "That would hardly be appropriate."

She huffed and squirmed in my arms. "How much is this costing you?"

"Not nearly enough for you to be upset over. Now, may I open the door, or do you want to ask me anymore ridiculous questions?"

She gave me the evil-eye, but silently acquiesced. For a brief moment, I was glad she was going to need some pain medication soon. Perhaps that would limit the number of protests I would have to hear from her tonight. Her stubbornness knew no bounds, and she had no idea just how little money this hotel room cost in the scheme of things. Not that I wouldn't spend more on Bella in a heartbeat. I'd spend the world's wealth on her, if she'd only allow it.

Admonishing myself internally for entertaining thoughts that would never come to pass, I pushed open the door and entered the foyer. I gave Bella a moment, waiting for the first of what I was sure would be a long list of objections. Not only were the accommodations luxurious, but I'd arranged to have the suite turned down for her prior to our arrival. The soft lighting and classical music playing in the background were specific requests of mine, but there were a few extra additions I hadn't specifically asked for. I walked curiously towards the large floral arrangement and silver ice bucket placed on the dining room table.

"What is all this?" Bella asked in a whisper. I shook my head, unsure, and lifted a folded note from the table. She adjusted her arms around my neck, biting her bottom lip nervously as I unfolded the card.

_Thank you for staying at the Hilton Virginia Beach.  
If you are in need of any assistance during your visit,  
please do not hesitate to ask.  
Day or night, both I and my staff are at your service.  
Sincerely, Ronson Bridges  
-Hotel Manager-_

I was already chuckling before Bella finished reading.

She glanced up at me with a confused expression. "Is this because I almost fell down the stairs?"

"I do believe it is, yes," I laughed. "I knew he was concerned about the possibility of a lawsuit, but I didn't know he would go to much trouble to avoid one." I lifted the bottle that was currently chilling in the ice bucket. "This is their best champagne, no doubt. Not terribly expensive, but still."

Bella shook her head. "Too bad it will go to waste. And what if we'd been underage?"

I smiled and put the bottle back in the ice. "We didn't ask for it, love. Don't worry yourself."

"Hmm..." she hummed, looking from the bottle, to the flowers, to the rest of the suite. Her eyes danced back and forth a bit, taking in the different areas of the room before landing on the tall windows and the ocean vista beyond.

"Wow..."

I smiled. "Is that a good wow?"

She nodded and moved her body in a way that let me know she wanted me to put her down. She hobbled past the living room furniture and stood silently on the other side staring out the window for a long moment. Eventually, she turned her head to glance at me over her shoulder.

"Will we stay here tomorrow night as well? Or did you have something else in mind for our little impromptu getaway?"

My smile widened. "Is that your way of telling me you've agreed to delay our return to Seattle? Even without talking to your boss?"

She nodded, giggling the moment I appeared in front of her and lifted her back into my arms. I brushed my nose along her rosy cheek.

"Thank you, Isabella. Truly."

Her cheeks warmed further. "No need to thank me. I should be thanking you. You're spoiling me already."

"What made you change your mind?"

"I realized about halfway through the reception that there's no way I'll be able to stand on my feet all day at work right now. I'll need at least a couple days to recuperate, so..." She shrugged. "We might as well spend them together."

"My thoughts exactly," I said, smiling. "We don't even have to stay here. We can go anywhere you like."

"Edward..."

"I'm serious. Anywhere you want, and I'll have you back in Seattle by Friday."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Don't you think this room is enough?"

I sat down on the sofa behind us and tucked her into my arms. "Not even close. I want to give you the world, Bella. I want you to experience everything life has to offer. I want it all for you."

She sighed and nuzzled her face against my neck. "That's really sweet of you to say, but right now, I'd settle for a shower and my flannel pajama bottoms."

"Oh, yeah?" I chuckled. "Just the bottoms?"

I felt her smile. "Okay, a t-shirt, too. But only as long it doesn't interfere with your grand plans."

I laughed, as did she, and stood up, carrying her with me.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice still filled with humor.

I kissed the top of her head. "I believe you asked for a shower. My grand plans can wait for the morning."

"I have to call my boss first. I need to tell them I'm hurt, at the very least."

We stepped into the master bedroom and I deposited her on the large bed in the center. "Why don't you do that while I get your suitcase and draw you a bath? I think that might be a better idea than a shower."

She thought it over. "Okay... I need my phone though."

"Use mine," I said, handing it to her.

She smiled and lifted her chin in a manner I recognized immediately. I bent over and kissed her before leaving her to her phone call.

"Edward," she said softly, stopping me before I could get two feet away.

"Yes, love?"

"Thank you... for everything today. You were perfect."

I began to argue with her but she stopped me.

"My ankle isn't your fault. And, that aside, I know I hurt you when I said I didn't know if I could trust you anymore. I didn't really mean it, I was just upset. I punished you for years of being treated a certain way by other people, and that wasn't right." She took a long, slow breath, and it was obvious she had more to say. "I've said it before, but I've never known anyone like you before. I've never felt the way I feel about you before. I just... I know I can be difficult sometimes, but I'm just so scared that I'll lose you someday, and when I do, I'll lose everything that's ever really meant anything to me."

"Bella..."

"I'm not me without you, Edward. I never have been. I realize that now, and... I just wanted to tell you that before I have to take anything else for pain and I get all loopy again and stop making sense."

Her breathing was accelerated by the time she finished, like she'd just run a marathon. The cadence of her heart matched and drew me to her as much as her words did. Her bath and phone call forgotten, I moved onto the bed, pulling her with me until we were lying face to face, our foreheads touching together.

"I'm not me without you either. You won't ever, _ever _lose me, Bella."

"Promise?"

"I do."

Her breath hitched and her eyes spilled over as the weight of that simple phrase fell over both of us. I'd meant it to be a reminder of what we'd witnessed earlier in the day. She seemed to have picked up on that and now, I waited with bated—albeit unnecessary—breath for her response. Would she play along? Was she willing? Or was the idea still abhorrent to her?

Apparently not.

"I do, too... As long as we both shall live."

Her answer was a whisper, but it was the breath of life to me. I swore my heart actually swelled inside my chest and my corresponding smile could have lit Times Square.

I would marry this girl someday. I would ask her soon, and if the look in her eyes as her lips sought out mine was any indication, she would say yes. She would say yes, and the hand that wove its way into my hair would wear the ring that once belonged to my mother.

If only Alice had been able to predict this, it would be there now. It would be there now and into eternity.

~(~)~

* * *

_***Sigh...***_

_**(I have nothing to add to that. Just big thank yous once again to my betas, **__Katmom __**&**__ Linguist, __**and my faithful pre-reader, **__farawaymomo__**. Look at the publish date, guys... These ladies have been in it for the long-haul and I am eternally grateful for their hard work and quick turn-around times. oxox )**_

_**-Ginnie**_


	32. Chapter 31: Yes

_**Well, it's been less than a month this time. That's something... **_

_**Thank you **Susie** and **Kathie** for their beta touch, and **Morgan** for being such a faithful pre-reader! To everyone else, thank you for all the reviews! It's nice to hear when you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it!  
**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, brands, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**_

* * *

**Chapter 31:**

**"Yes"**

_EPOV—_

Eyes fluttered. Toes twitched.

She sighed, and her heart hastened in its rhythm.

_Finally..._

Turning on her side, she rolled towards me. Her t-shirt twisted loosely around her exposed middle while one leg kicked out from beneath the covers. The flannel rode up along the flesh of her leg in her efforts.

I smiled and took in every rumpled detail. Her hair was a crow's nest atop her beautiful head. Her eyelids were smudged with the make-up left behind even after her shower last night. There were creases on her cheek from the sheets beneath her. The corner of her mouth was parted and a miniscule amount of moisture collected there against her pink lips.

She was bedraggled, but utterly gorgeous. And tempting.

_Mine..._ a voice within me cried.

_Not yet_, I reasoned.

_Soon... _the voice insisted.

I shook my head at my inner dialogue. I was feeling very impatient – in more ways than one.

Leaning over Bella, I ran the back of one finger over her cheekbone. Normally, I would fear her wrath for waking her, but it was nearly eight now and she'd been asleep almost twelve hours. She'd fallen asleep early and then woke only briefly at two when her pain medication had worn off. Since then, she'd been virtually silent.

Without the company of her sleep-talking, it had been quite lonesome. I missed her voice... her little sighs... the faces she usually made.

A small part of me thought I should be embarrassed, pining for her when she lay right next to me, but I wasn't. I couldn't be. Not when she responded to my touch the way she did, turning her face towards mine and leaning into my hand. She whispered my name.

"Mmm... Edward."

Unable to hold back any longer, I cupped her cheek fully, causing a small smile to tease at the corners of her mouth. I stroked her silken skin with my thumb, causing her whole face to light up. Yes, her eyes remained closed, but I knew she was finally returning to consciousness... and to me.

"Good morning."

She inhaled deeply and hummed.

I leaned over her again and this time, ran my nose along her cheekbone to her ear. "Still sleepy?"

She nodded. "Mm-hmm..."

She shifted closer to me and burrowed her face into the material of my shirt. "What time is it?" she mumbled.

I chuckled. "Not quite eight."

"In the morning?"

"Yes."

"Wow..." she yawned. "The last thing I remember, it was around eight last night."

I ran my fingers through her tangled locks. "You were exhausted."

"Or it was the..." She yawned again. "...the drugs."

I laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Yes, that too. How are you feeling?"

She leaned back a little and looked up at me with an adorable expression. "Fine, I think."

I heard the sheets rustle as she moved her injured ankle around.

"Does it hurt?"

She shook her head. "It's just a little tender."

I smiled, hiding the apology I know she didn't want to see or hear. Brushing a few stray hairs away from her face, I placed a soft kiss on her forehead instead.

"How was your night?" she asked.

"Wonderful. I was growing impatient waiting for you to wake up, though."

She laughed breathily. "I bet. I still think it has to be boring just watching me sleep."

"No... not usually."

"But you were last night?"

"No, you were unusually quiet, but no. I wasn't bored. I just wanted to be able to do this again without waking you."

I lowered my mouth to hers slowly, savoring the hitch of her breath and the widening of her eyes as realization hit her. Her lips were tight against mine initially. No doubt she was concerned about her breath, but I much preferred kissing her first thing in the morning over kissing her first thing after brushing her teeth. The peppermint was obnoxious and masked her own delicious flavor.

Eventually, she relaxed, melting into my arms with a moan. It escaped her as she parted her lips and wrapped her tiny arms around me in return. The feel of her warm limbs against me sparked a fire in my belly that exploded as she slipped one hand up my back to the nape of my neck and pulled down. Every muscle in my body tensed with the restraint it took not to give in to her silent request. Heaven knows I wanted to feel all of her against all of me; it just wasn't something I could trust myself to do.

Instead, I gently slid one hand beneath her head, wrapping the other around her waist and pulling her up to me. It was safer this way, I told myself, despite the easy way her body melded to mine.

Her free leg moved to wrap around my calf as she endeavored to hold herself to me. I'd panicked when she'd done the same last night, but trusted her now not to test me any farther. It hadn't been my finest moment, but I'd had to explain that her hands and arms alone were enough to drive me out of my mind. Not to mention her kisses. She had no idea what those did to me.

Venom flooded my mouth every time. Her taste overwhelmed me, heaven and hell together. Her lips mesmerized me, always softer than the softest silk, yet strong enough to guide my movements, telling me what she desired. Her tongue tortured me, occasionally peeking out to set fire to my lips and my desire.

I knew what she wanted in those moments, I wanted it too— to be able to kiss her without restraint— but I was too afraid to try. Her blood already beckoned to the darkest of my animal instincts, and while my love and reverence for her held the monster at bay for now, I wasn't willing to take any chances with the girl who'd become my whole world and my future.

The sensation of my future's toes sliding up my leg brought me out of my haze, at least enough to realize she was practically gasping for air. I released her mouth to allow her to catch her breath and groaned softly when she pulled at my hair, turning her head and offering her neck to me. My mouth trailed along her jaw and then down, lingering over her pulse point. I felt the fast thump, thump, thump against my lips. Swallowing heavily, I pulled back and lowered her body to the mattress below us. I needed a moment to gain my composure.

I needed a moment for Bella to regain hers as well. Her chest heaved and her heart pounded as she lay there, completely exposed and trusting.

She closed her eyes and sighed, smiling a happy, mischievous smile. "Wow... I should propose to you more often."

I laughed loudly, grateful for the distraction of her words, and leaned up on my elbow to gaze upon her.

"Oh, Miss Swan... I thought we discussed this last night. That was _not_ a proposal."

She blushed. "It might as well have been."

"I can show you a proposal... if you like." I winked at her playfully.

"Oh, I'm sure you can," she giggled. I joined her in her laughter.

She was so very beautiful; her eyes shining and joyful, her hair wild and thoroughly tousled, her lips rosy and plump. I couldn't take my eyes off her, nor stop grinning. Even when our laughter faded, the smiles remained. A blissful calm filled the space between us as we stared at one another.

Slowly, she lifted one small hand to my hair, pushing it back where it had fallen down a bit. Her fingers slid along the side of my face until her palm cupped my cheek. She traced my bottom lip with her thumb while her eyes danced in thought. The only thing that kept me from purring in satisfaction was the burning desire to know what she was thinking. And for once, I didn't have to ask.

"When?" she whispered.

"When what?" I cocked my head to the side.

Her heart beat faster. "When do you think... you'd... be ready for that? To um, to get married? Or engaged...? Or whatever."

I grinned crookedly. "Is today too soon?"

Her eyes bulged.

"Kidding, Bella. I'm kidding." I laughed.

She slapped my shoulder. "That wasn't nice." Her smile belied her rebuke.

"When do you think you'll be ready?" I asked, playful still, but serious.

She shook her head. "I don't know. The sooner the better, I suppose. Before I'm too old for you."

She didn't look too pleased with the idea, and I didn't care for her answer.

"Bella, please tell me that's not why..."

"No. No, that's not why I want to," she swallowed. "...marry you."

"You're not very convincing when you can barely say the word."

Her eyes softened, her expression grew tender. "It's just new."

"And?" I asked, sensing there was more.

"And..." she sighed. "I am wondering what my parents will think. Renee might expect it if what you told me is true, but Charlie will be blindsided. He believes I'm too much like him to do anything impulsive."

"Technically, we're discussing this in advance, so it's not impulsive. Not to mention your father did run away with your mother to Las Vegas."

She looked thunderstruck. "How did you know that? Did I tell you that and forget?"

I debated lying, wondering if the answer would upset her at all.

"No, love, you didn't tell me. Charlie was thinking about what they were like when they met when we all went out to dinner together. He was trying to remember what it was exactly that had prompted him to run off to Vegas with Renee all those years ago."

"He was?"

I nodded and Bella's eyes grew moist. "He still loves her, doesn't he?"

"I think he always will in a way, but he wasn't pining after her. He's very fond of Sue, actually."

Bella smiled and tucked her head into my neck. "That's good. I'm happy for them." She sighed. "You're very handy to have around. Do you know that?"

I rubbed my hands over her back soothingly. "I only care that you think so."

Eventually, she pulled out of my embrace. "I guess I should take a human minute or two. I'm supposed to have breakfast with Caroline and her grandparents this morning."

"I remember."

She kissed me once before I rolled over and let her up. She placed a hand on my stomach when I attempted to assist her.

"Let me just test it out."

It was difficult to watch her go, despite the fact that much of the swelling had abated during the night. She wobbled as she tried to put some weight on her ankle, but after a few steps, turned back and smiled.

"It's better today."

I grinned back at her. "It looks that way."

Everything looked better today.

~(~)~

While Bella dressed and took care of her needs, I called home for an update and located my suitcase, which had been delivered by a bellhop at some point the day before.

"Hey, hold on," Alice said, breathlessly. She'd picked up her phone before it had even rung on my end. I heard the sound of air rushing by for a few seconds. "Okay, I can talk now."

"Good morning, Alice."

She squealed happily and began chattering away.

"Yes, it is. Do you have any idea what I've seen? Gah! Of course, you do! And I'm actually really glad that you're in another state because I wouldn't want to spoil everything, but, my God, Edward, she's going to be exquisite! You have no idea! And it's soon, too. The leaves were turning, but just barely! It was outside, at the house. Stop me if you don't want to hear anymore."

I laughed. "Stop. I don't want to hear anymore."

"Really? You don't want to know?"

"One: I'll experience it when Bella experiences it. And two: I'm afraid you'll jinx me, Al. The last twelve hours have been too perfect."

She sighed dreamily. "Yeah?"

I grinned. "Yeah."

We were both quiet a moment.

"How is everything there?" I asked.

"The same. I'm getting frustrated, but not giving up. He's a newborn, he'll make a mistake soon enough."

"The question is, how soon? I told Bella I could have her home by Friday."

Alice huffed. "Yes, well that's your problem. I told you that it's completely unnecessary. I'm shocked Bella didn't read you the riot act for wanting to keep her locked up."

"I want no such thing. I just want her safe."

"Same thing... Not that I see her going back to work until next week anyway, so take your time, but so help me... if you run off to Vegas with her–"

"Who said anything about Vegas?"

"One of you must have at least considered it."

I was stunned silent for a brief moment before the water shut off in the bathroom.

"I'm going to have to go, Alice. Is there anything pertinent I need to know about?"

"Well, you can count on the weather being rainy all day today and tomorrow but the rest of the week is supposed to be sunny. You may want to re-think the hotel. Oh, and Esme wants to have Bella over for the Fourth of July. She was also considering inviting Bella's father and his girlfriend as well, but I can't see whether or not they'll come."

"Did you tell her–"

"Esme? No. I haven't said anything to anyone. Not even Jasper, but I think he suspects. We were together when the vision of your wedding hit me."

My body thrummed at her words.

_Your wedding..._

It hardly seemed real. I suppose it wasn't real, not just yet. If only I'd known things would work out like this.

"By the way," Alice stated mischievously. "You should open your suitcase."

I spotted it across the room from me. "Why? What did you do?"

She giggled. "Well, if you'd changed clothes at all last night, you would know already."

I moved across the room in an instant, placing the suitcase on the bed in the second bedroom in the next instant. I could hear Bella getting dressed in the master bath, but tried to ignore those sounds and pay attention instead to what I was doing.

"What am I looking for?"

"A pair of socks. The ones you usually wear to keep your feet from making Bella's feet cold..." Her tone was teasing, but happy.

I rolled my eyes, but found the socks in question. One pair was too large. At second glance it appeared as if something was rolled up inside.

"Al..."

"You're welcome," she said, even before I'd revealed the item that I'd believed to be hidden away among my things in Washington.

"How did you know?"

I could hear her shake her head, her earrings jingled in the background.

"I didn't know. It was just a feeling I had. When you came home saying Bella never wanted to get married, it didn't feel right. I'd had glimpses, but nothing was set in stone either way. Then I remembered what Bella told you about how Jessica's wedding was the second wedding she'd be attending inside of a year and I thought I heard some longing in her voice. I asked Jasper about it and we figured that, at the very least, seeing your mother's ring might motivate you to discuss the topic with Bella. I never really imagined you'd be able to get it on her finger." She practically squealed the last word.

I smiled and sighed simultaneously. "Alice, as much as I'm thrilled by that prospect, I have to ask... What would you have done if my suitcase had gotten lost or damaged? Or if the ring had been stolen?"

"Never would have happened. _That_ I was sure of."

"I think you're awfully confident for someone who can't find one lone little newborn vampire."

Alice gasped dramatically. "That's hitting below the belt, Edward Anthony!"

I laughed, knowing from her tone that she wasn't really upset.

"I really do have to go now, Al. Bella just finished in the bathroom."

"Okay, okay... Go on back to her."

"Thanks, I'll–"

"Nope, don't bother checking in with us again. I'll call you if something comes up. Have fun."

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome, dear brother. Tell Bella I can't wait until we're sisters!"

I shook my head as I hung up and quickly rolled my mother's ring and its box back inside the socks Alice had stowed them in. Bella appeared in the doorway not a moment after I'd concealed them.

"What are you doing in here?"

I smiled. "I was just getting some fresh clothes. I think I'll shower, too, if you don't mind."

Bella tilted her head to one side. "Okay... but why did you come in _here_? Why not use the main bedroom?"

I mimicked her pose, watching her the way she was watching me. "I came in here because I needed a place to open my suitcase and I didn't want to intrude on you."

"Right, of course."

When I'd removed what I needed from the suitcase and then secured the zipper and lock, I moved to stand in front of her. Her skin was slightly flushed and her body language was exuding anxiety again. I moved one finger along her cheek. "What is this?"

She shrugged. "It's nothing."

I lifted her chin gently. She looked into my eyes only a moment before raising her arms and wrapping them around me, hiding her face in my shirt under the guise of a hug.

"What is it, love?"

"It's really nothing. Just..."

She hesitated again and I complained. "Bella..."

She laughed quietly. "All right, all right... It's just that you wouldn't be intruding. If you had come in, that is. It wouldn't have been an intrusion."

The heat in her cheeks increased, at the same time I felt a little flip-flop inside my abdomen. It took me a moment to think how to respond.

"That's very gracious of you. I appreciate the sentiment."

She lifted her face to me. "But you aren't going to take me up on that, are you?"

I thought a moment. "I don't think it would be right of me to take such liberties at this juncture. At the very least, I would wish to knock and gain your permission before entering."

She laughed. "I love your more formal nature sometimes. Do you know that?"

I grinned sheepishly. "No."

"Well, I do. Although, I really wouldn't mind it if you took a few liberties now and then."

My initial inclination was to frown, my long-established ideals bristling at the suggestion. Bella must have sensed this as she sighed and pressed her face to my chest once again.

"I'm just saying that I wouldn't mind if you put your suitcase in the same room as mine."

"I don't think that's all you're saying."

She shrugged. "I want you to be comfortable around me. I want us to be comfortable around each other."

I sighed. "Bella...I think I've demonstrated that I'm all too comfortable around you –sometimes, dangerously so. I lie in your bed with you almost every night... I put my hands on your body, in places no gentleman from my time ever would have..."

Her heart fluttered as I demonstrated, one hand wrapping around her waist, my fingers flexing against the skin of her warm back. Her breath escaped her unsteadily when that hand slid up her back and into her still damp hair. I leaned closer and nuzzled the tendrils starting to curl near her ear.

"You smell so good like this," I confessed.

"_Good_ good? Or _bad_ good?"

"Both," I sighed. "Always both."

"I'm sorry."

"Never be sorry, love. I'm not. But I must take precautions so as to never forget myself around you. You are far too alluring for your own good."

She shivered and wrapped her arms around my waist. "You, too."

I sucked in a breath as her warm fingers skimmed beneath the hem of my un-tucked shirt.

"Isabella..."

She sighed. "I'm sorry."

"No more than I. Please believe me."

I held her as close and as tightly as I dared until she eventually squirmed and leaned back.

"I have to go, the Stanleys will be waiting. I also wanted to say goodbye to Angela."

"I know. Let me wrap your ankle for you."

"Okay."

I swept her into my arms before she could protest and took her into the main bedroom before placing her on the large, rumpled bed. If it were possible, I know my heart would have stuttered at the sight of it. Memories of the words we exchanged last night pulsed through me as I wrapped her ankle. When it was done, her heart was racing for the both of us, as if she'd known where my thoughts had turned. I ran my thumb up her calf, then tugged playfully on the hem of her Capri pants.

She smiled and reached for me. I remained on the floor, but rose up on my knees to meet her at eye level. Automatically, she parted her legs to make room for me. It was an extraordinarily intimate gesture, and my disquiet must have shown.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, touching my cheek.

I smiled timidly. "I'm thinking this is yet another liberty you're granting me, Miss Swan."

Her cheeks colored prettily. "Well... don't think too badly of me. You are irresistible."

"I could say the same for you."

She shook her head. "Sweet-talker. You're going to make me late for breakfast."

"You're free to go anytime," I teased, arching an eyebrow but doing nothing to allow her to rise from the bed.

She laughed and ran her hands through my hair. "As if I could walk away from you..."

"I'm counting on that," I whispered, pressing my lips to hers once and then again and again until she was, in fact, late for breakfast.

~(~)~

I spent the rest of the morning after Bella left making plans for the next several days. The urgent priority should have been securing more suitable accommodations for when the sun inevitably returned later in the week. But even while I considered the many options, my mind kept wandering to other plans, plans I was more eager to make.

My mother's ring beckoned me while I was on the phone with the first of several realtors that dealt with vacation rentals in the area. I envisioned it in its box, having long been neglected. While I looked at a map the second realtor sent via email, I considered what, if any, restoration would need to be made before placing it on Bella's finger. By the time I found a place I believed might be suitable for both my needs and Bella's during the next several days, I'd already moved on mentally to the list of other things that would need to be done before I could realistically propose.

While everything in me screamed to drop to my knees and beg for her hand the moment she got back from entertaining little Caroline, I knew that was not the judicious thing to do. For one, I needed to speak with her father first. At least, I would prefer it that way. Of course, considering that paying him a visit would mean crossing our current treaty line with the Quileutes and returning to Forks, I might have to reconsider, or get creative.

Then again... Bella seemed to think she'd already proposed marriage to me.

I chuckled as I recalled her face when she'd emerged from the bathroom last night. I couldn't understand what had caused her to become so suddenly anxious, and when she explained that she'd been thinking about the unexpected way she —in her words— "basically proposed," she'd grown chagrined.

_"It was such a bold thing for me to have said. I mean, it was so... so... brazen! And how could you possibly trust anything I say tonight anyway? What with the drugs, and the champagne, and the dancing...?"_

_ "The dancing?" _

_ She blushed. "Yes, the dancing. Couldn't you tell I was completely dazzled the whole time?"_

_ I chuckled. "Maybe a bit... but if it makes you feel any better, I could also tell that you weren't _dazzled _when you spoke the most beautiful words I've heard in all my existence."_

_ "You could?" She blinked. "They were?"_

_ "Yes, and yes... Your words were like a breath of fresh air after a century of captivity."_

_ "So... it didn't freak you out? I mean, isn't that the kind of thing that guys typically, well... freak out over?"_

_ I laughed softly. "I guess I'm not your typical guy." _

_ She nodded and laid her head against my chest. "I guess not." _

_ After a moment, I broke the silence. "And Isabella?"_

_ "Yes?"_

_ "Just so we're both clear... as meaningful a moment as that was, it was no proposal."_

_ "Oh, no?" _

_ I smiled and kissed the top of her head. "When the time comes, I promise you'll know the difference." _

It had actually taken some creative distraction techniques to get her to let the issue go without having to demonstrate what one says and does when proposing. Which brought my mind back to the ring sitting open on the table before me.

I was probably making Alice dizzy with all the different ways I imagined presenting it to Bella.

"Am I making you dizzy, darling sister?" I said out loud.

It was a game we'd played countless times in the past. I didn't truly expect an answer, but it was fun to put that out there all the same. I wondered if she would actually attempt to help me, or if she would stay out of it as she'd indicated when we'd spoken earlier.

A slight buzz on the sofa cushion next to me answered my question and made me smile.

I picked up my phone and opened the message.

_Yes, you're making me dizzy! Stop it! _;-)  
_PS- She doesn't really care for orchids.  
If that matters...  
~A_

I laughed, but immediately the list of suitable choices in the floral department shifted in my mind. I put my phone down after sending my thanks back to Alice and considered again the many options before me. They all ended the same way, of course, with the same words, and the same significant piece of jewelry. Otherwise, the opportunities were endless.

If I could determine the right time and place for Bella, I had a feeling the rest of the details would fall into place. At least, I hoped they would.

~(~)~

Bella returned late Sunday afternoon, but just moments after I confirmed our plans for the next morning.

Unless she decided she wished to spend our sojourn somewhere else, a realtor would meet us to look at two homes that were both available to rent on a short term basis and remote enough to allow us some freedom during daylight hours. They were both on the water, which I hoped she would enjoy and would be a rare privilege for me as well.

The coast line in that area provided a few natural attractions that might fill Bella's waking hours, should she grow bored, and I planned on taking her to see at least one of them while it was still overcast. The others she could explore herself, or we could wait for twilight and attempt to squeeze them in together at the end of the day. There were also some historical sights nearby and I wondered if she would be interested in seeing those as well.

Her smile was kind, but she looked rather overwhelmed when I began listing them.

"You're not interested in this at all, are you?" I asked as soon as I noticed. We were sitting together on the small sofa in the living area of the suite. She was on my lap, her arms around my neck.

"I'm not _un_interested, I just need a moment to recoup. Three year olds are exhausting."

"Was Caroline difficult for you?"

Bella laughed. "Oh, no. She's just busy and I was chasing after her on one foot!"

"I shouldn't have let you go alone."

"I wasn't alone the whole time, it was fine."

"Would you tell me if it hadn't been?"

She shrugged. "Maybe... maybe not. It doesn't matter though. I had a good time and said my goodbyes." Her face grew serious. "I don't know when I'll see her again. Or Jessica."

"You'll miss them."

She nodded and laid her head on my shoulder. I sighed.

Had she any idea that this sort of thing would be par for the course if she shared her life with me? In the long run, would she be able to stomach saying goodbye to people she came to care for? Again and again?

"You're super still," she whispered, breaking the silence. "What are you thinking about?"

"That's my line, isn't it?" I asked, shifting my arms around her slightly.

She laughed quietly. "Well, I can't read your mind either."

"That's probably a good thing."

"Now, that's _my_ line." I could hear her smile.

"Indeed it is."

"So, will you tell me? I tell you what I'm thinking all the time."

I sat up and moved her back to we could see one another.

"Honestly?"

"Yes."

"I was wondering whether or not you've truly considered what a life lived with me might entail?"

She frowned, so I expounded.

"We'd have to move a lot, at least once every ten years, and you must know that when we leave the Seattle area, it won't be safe for us to return for decades. Forks is the same, even more so with the added complication of the Quileute nearby, and... No matter where we go, Bella, you'll eventually have to say good bye to people you care about and leave again."

"I know," she said in a sad, small voice.

"Do you?"

She nodded. "I've thought about it a lot. I mean, I'm at a juncture in my life where it's only natural to consider setting out on a life of your own. A life away from the places and people you've known before. I certainly wouldn't be the first adult child who left her state of origin only to return a handful of times to visit in the years that follow."

"And the frequent moving? What about that?"

"That would be okay, I suppose. As long as I have something to keep me busy wherever we set off to, then I'll be okay." Her eyes flickered to mine. "As long as I have you, I'll be okay."

~(~)~

Bella napped through most of the afternoon while the tropical system that had made my presence at Jessica's wedding possible sent more and more rain up the coast. When the rain broke briefly in the evening, she insisted we take a walk on the beach together, which more of less amounted to me giving her a piggyback ride down to the water's edge and back again after a few minutes of playing barefooted in the surf.

Monday morning broke with scattered, but fast moving clouds covering the sky. I feared our outing with the real estate agent would have to be delayed, but the clouds slowed and thickened by the time Bella finished breakfast.

As we neared the neighborhood where the first house was located, Bella began the first of her protests.

"I just don't understand why Virginia is any safer than Washington. There are vampires all over the world, aren't there? What makes the East Coast any different from the West Coast?"

"It was more my concern for where this particular vampire's hunt for his maker might lead him. Your scent is incredibly tempting, Bella, and should he find any number of the trails I've left leading to your apartment, I don't think he'd be able to resist."

"So why didn't you just invite me to stay with you, at your house? Wouldn't your family be more than a match for him?"

I blinked in surprise. "I never thought you'd consider such a thing."

"I've stayed over before." Her tone was too careful, and from the corner of my eye I saw her biting her lip.

"True..."

"So why...?"

I had to question my own motivations. "Perhaps I was being selfish. I'd rather not share you if I don't have to."

Bella stared at me as I made the final turn approaching our destination. I slowed the car and looked at her. She was frowning.

"That's a very... _normal_ reason."

I chuckled. "Yes, it is. I had to stop and think about it for a moment."

She smiled slowly. "So... selfish and overprotective?"

"Also a symptom of my selfishness."

I smiled crookedly at her and she laughed.

Our good humor carried us through the rather tense meeting with the realtor who was at first taken aback by my supernatural allure, and then overzealous in her response to it. I think it was safe to say that Bella was more annoyed by the woman than I was, and before she could even show us the kitchen I had to insist she step outside while we looked around.

Unfortunately, her thoughts didn't exactly go outside with her and the décor and location of the house were not nearly enough to distract either Bella or me. We took the stairs slowly and I winced when the realtor peered inside just to ogle my backside.

"She is insufferable," Bella hissed when she saw. _Of course she saw... _

I smiled at both her adorable anger and her observant nature as I steered her towards the master bedroom, where she would be sleeping. "Ignore her, and tell me about the house. Would you be comfortable here?"

She shrugged noncommittally and then stopped short just inside the large, cavernous bedroom.

It was upscale, but very dark. It was all indigo walls, espresso colored wood trim and furniture, long, thick curtains in a similarly dark fabric. The four poster bed boasted comfort, but my superior eyesight told me it was not nearly clean enough for my love, which was a disturbing thought in and of itself.

Bella stepped hesitantly towards it and ran a finger up one of the columns. Her eyes followed her finger and she gasped, staring up into the tray ceiling.

"What is it?" I flashed to her side.

"Umm..." She pointed, but I was looking already.

A large, ornate mirror filled the recessed surface above the bed. In it, I could see Bella's scarlet cheeks as well as my own tight expression. There was no mistaking the purpose of such a decoration.

I was horrified. "I assure you, Bella, I had no idea."

She met my eyes in the mirror, hers still wide from surprise. "I kind of figured that."

We stared at one another a moment longer before I took her hand in mine and led her away from the atrocity. She leaned against me slightly and I felt her shoulders begin to shake with silent laughter.

"I'm guessing that wasn't in the brochure."

"Certainly not."

She laughed harder. "You should have seen your face, Edward."

I smiled and chuckled a little myself. "You should have seen yours. I think I can still feel your blush from here."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you can. That's not something you see every day."

"Indeed."

We walked toward the stairway, a silent agreement between us that there was no need to see the rest of the house. I had thought it would be the least favorite of the two, so I wasn't entirely surprised to be leaving so soon. I only hoped the second house would be in better taste and in better repair than the first.

When we arrived, I was pleased not to be disappointed on either front.

While more remote, this home was newer and decorated in a more minimalist fashion. It was still luxurious and opulent, but had a cleaner appearance in addition to actually being clean. Between that and insisting the realtor let us give ourselves a self-guided tour this time around, Bella was infinitely more interested in this home.

The great room made her eyes go wide.

"This is amazing..."

"You like it?"

She smiled weakly. "It's amazing, but it's too much."

"It's for me, as a much as it is for you, love," I reminded her.

She sighed and turned slowly in a circle. "But it's so big... It's more frivolous than the hotel room."

"It's not my fault the hotel was sold out of regular rooms."

She made a face. "So what's the excuse this time?"

"Simple," I shrugged. "Privacy. There are few neighbors here and the pool area has a covered patio area."

"There's a pool?"

"Yes."

"But the house is already on the beach."

"I didn't build the house, Bella. I simply thought it would meet our mutual needs and make our time together more enjoyable."

She heaved a breath. "You never do anything small, do you?"

I grinned. "I often find myself having to rein in my desires when it comes to you."

Her face was embarrassed. "So you've said."

I stalked towards her. "It's true."

She trembled lightly. I took her in my arms and kissed her gently.

"Do you remember when your laptop fell off your bed?"

She blinked, confused at the apparent change in topic. "Yes."

"I was planning on replacing it with a new one that first night. I already knew exactly which one I wanted to purchase for you, but Alice called while you were sleeping and told me that you'd be unhappy with me, so I refrained.

"And when it came time to plan our first official date, there were all kinds of grand gestures I wanted to make— everything from hiring a personal chef and a band for the evening, to renting a yacht for a personalized tour of Puget Sound.

"I held myself back then, as well, because I guessed those things would make you uncomfortable."

She swallowed heavily and blinked. "The park was the perfect first date. I think the only thing that could have been better was the mountainside you took me to."

I smiled wistfully. "I understand that with you, simplicity is best, that doesn't mean I don't wish to lay the world and everything in it at your feet, Bella... if only you would allow me to."

"Edward..." Her voice quavered.

I smiled and ran my thumb over the crease between her eyebrows.

"I'm not telling you this to make you feel guilty, Bella, but it is difficult for me to restrain myself from spoiling you. You have no idea how it pained me to _not _buy you a gift for your graduation. I was happy to see that you allowed your parents the indulgence of replacing your laptop to mark the occasion, but I was also supremely jealous because you forbade me from spending a single dime."

"I didn't know they were going to do that, Edward. I told them the same thing I told you and your family."

"Yet, you accepted your parents' gift without protest. As well as a gift from my brother. How would you have responded if I'd blatantly disregarded your wishes?"

She inhaled sharply. "That's not fair. That's Emmett, and they're my parents, and you're my..." She huffed. "Well, we're in a relationship. It's different."

"Why? Why should it be?"

"Because... I don't want you to give me lavish things when I can't reciprocate!"

"Are you being serious, Isabella?" I dropped her hand, my voice sharper than I intended.

Her eyes darted to mine, wide and surprised before I sighed in remorse and pulled her to me.

"Sweetheart, I had nothing that truly mattered to me before you accepted me into your life. I promise you... there isn't a thing on earth I could give you that would ever come close to matching what you've already given me; what you give me just by breathing. "

Her breath left her in a rush, her body betraying the way my words affected her. "I don't..." she whispered shakily. "I don't know how to respond to that."

I chuckled. "To start, let me spoil you a little. Say yes to the house."

Her chest rose and fell twice more before she ducked her head and hid her face against my neck. "Okay," she mumbled.

"Yes?"

She nodded and lifted her head, her liquid brown eyes shining. "Yes."

~(~)~

* * *

_**One yes down, one to go. (Unless you count Edward saying "yes" to changing Bella and then we have two to go. ;-) That boy is stubborn with a capital "S"!)**_

_**Next update will likely take about as long as this one. I will always endeavor to work quickly, but my head is a crazy place, as is the home I share with my hubby and kids. **_

_****If you need something to read in while you wait, the **_Twilight _**round of **_**_The Canon Tour_**_** is going on right now! If you haven't heard of this unique contest, you need to check it out! There are 26 top notch canon and AU entries up for your consideration right now, and yes, one of them is mine. :-) ****Voting runs until November 4**__**th**__** and winners are announced the next day. **_

_**Visit their profile for more information or to read the stories: **_

_**http : / / www. fanfiction. net / u/ 3041014/ thecanontour [just remove the spaces]**_


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